Innocent Kisses In The Rain
by whitelaurel
Summary: AU Kagome gets assigned to do a group project with the new transfer student, Inuyasha, but it only turns into something else when she lays eyes on his older brother...
1. Scene One, Rainy Days

"Aaaaah! No! It's starting to rain!" She broke into a run as she pulled her backpack protectively over her head, her face contorted in desperation as the rain began to pour mercilessly on her unprotected body.

It was not that Kagome Higurashi did not like the rain, or the wispy gray clouds that streaked the sky and the heavy scent of the moist air that accompanied the sensation, but it looked as though it was going to lightening and thunder as well, and that frightened her.

She shrieked as she bolted through the sheets of raindrops, avoiding obstacles but almost tripping over the bench when she came upon her local park.

Her shimmering wet ebony colored bangs stuck to her face and the length of her hair fell in thick sopping dreadlocks almost to her shoulders. Her pale blue eyes were half shut and blinking rapidly against the gusting rain, her irises, normally the color of the blue sky closest to the sun, were darkening with the shadowed atmosphere. Thunder slapped and she almost fell over in surprise.

She ran up the shrine steps and ran to the back door, sobbing when she found it locked.

"Mom! Please open the door!" Her mom was supposed to know how terrifying excited rain was for her daughter!

The door opened suddenly and she stumbled inside, panting heavily but welcoming the warmer inside air.

"Kagome! You're wet! Go upstairs and change before you catch cold!" Her mother chastised her gently, giving her a shove toward her room as she took Kagome's backpack.

Kagome walked toward her room slowly, holding the stitch in her side. Her breathing was deep as she shut the door behind her, sliding down the wooden surface until she was sitting on the ground, her head buried in her arms.

The wet school uniform clung to her body indecently, but she didn't care much as numbness took her and she began to shiver uncontrollably by the door.

Finally rising, she decided to shed the dripping wet uniform and change into something more comfortable.

After she took the hottest shower she'd ever taken in her life.

Slipping the short black plaited skirt over her hips and the now transparent white fabric of her blouse, she took off her black shoes and tall white socks and then rushed into the bathroom across the hall. The water could be heard crashing into the tub and steam almost automatically floated into the hallway with the rising temperature.

*

It was not customary for the Higurashi household to be lazy bones and change into pajamas after school, but Ms. Higurashi allowed her daughter to, for this once, since she had had such an exhilarating run back home and was probably desperate for warmth by now.

Kagome walked down the stairs, decked in baby blue pajama pants (adorned with white moons and stars), the matching white tank top (with the "U" shaped navy crescent moon in the center), and a gigantic sweater the color of midnight blue almost slipping off her shoulders. Oh, and her white puffy house slippers. Kagome was comfy.

Her hair was blow dried and now fell warmly about her face, framing the richly tanned skin with the thick black locks, scratching her neck but falling barely below her chin. Her face was unmarred by makeup, her bright blue eyes shining glossier than any eye shadow, and her small pink lips curved up in a contented smile.

Kagome was only twelve years old as of last month, and was relatively short at 4'5". Souta, her little brother, was seven years old now and was still relatively sweet-tempered- but that would disappear soon enough!

"Soccer practice was cancelled today." Souta informed her as she bounced into the kitchen to help mom with dinner.

"Oh? Are you glad?" Kagome asked her little brother as she began putting away the dishes that her mom was drying.

Souta shrugged and turned back to his coloring book. Kagome smiled as she dashed over and hugged his head.

"Kagome!" Souta complained loudly, trying to uncurl her arms about him.

"You're so cute! I couldn't help it!" Kagome giggled and skipped back to her work, dutifully standing on her tip toes to open the cupboard and place the plats within.

"You're so weird." Souta sniffed, but he was naturally excited by her playfulness and abandoned his coloring book to go try to coax the cat, Buyo, into playing tag.

As soon as Kagome was done helping with the dishes, she jounced off to retrieve her backpack and do her homework.

"Dinner's in an hour!" Kagome's mom reminded her absentmindedly.

"Hai!" Kagome called back enthusiastically.

"Kagome!" A voice called to her and she halted in her tracks, looking over her shoulder curiously.

"Another belated birthday present!" Her grandpa called cheerfully, approaching her with a strangely-shaped object held lopsided within newspapers instead of birthday wrap.

"Ma, ma, it's okay Grandpa! I don't deserve so many gifts!" Kagome sweat dropped and backed away, her free hand moving back and forth in gentle refusal.

"It's really good this time Kagome! It's very rare and expensive!" Grandpa insisted, holding the creepy artifact out for her to take in front of him.

"I can't do it Grandpa! I'd feel like I was taking advantage! Truly, I would feel much better if you gave it to Souta instead!" With that Kagome retreated to her room at a mad dash, shutting the door and sitting against it in terror. Grandpa's birthday gifts were so abnormal and scary- next thing you know, he'd be giving her a mummified hand for her birthday!

"Ah! No, Grandpa, it's okay… I can't take a present because it's Kagome's birthday now!" Souta's young age did not cloud his wisdom, that's for sure!

The sky began to get dark outside Kagome's window but the rain still fell chillingly to the ground, swirling down sidewalks and gutters relentlessly, almost pulsing in its quantity.

Kagome hadn't finished her homework by the time Ms. Higurashi called everyone to dinner in an hour, true to her word. It was already 6:30 pm and she still had work left to do.

She sighed as she hopped down the thickly carpeted steps, walking sullenly to the dinner table.

It was only Monday.

"What are you doing tomorrow Kagome?" Ms. Higurashi politely asked.

"I've got swimming lessons right after school, so I'll be gone until five o'clock or so… But don't forget that on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday I have Track practice!" Kagome exclaimed happily.

"All right, we'll be expecting you late then. What about you Souta?" Ms. Higurashi turned to her younger son.

"I'm going to learn how to write a long word tomorrow." Souta said matter of fact like, turning back to his rice greedily.

"That's very good." Ms. Higurashi nodded her head in soft approval as she also turned back to the evening meal.

'Is something going to happen tomorrow?' Kagome asked herself as she looked out into the swelling rain outside, the sky bleached hazy gray and the moon blotted angrily from view.


	2. Scene Two, The Meeting

Innocent Kisses In The Rain

*

Kagome woke up late.

Her shriek woke the rest of the house up early.

'It seems that at least one scream is becoming a frequent addition to my daily schedule.' Kagome thought desperately, flying down the stairs and out the door before she had even eaten.

"Kagome! It's very unhealthy not to take a meal!" Kagome's mother cried reproachfully after her, but Kagome was already out of sight.

Kagome sprinted the length of the sidewalk, dashing across streets and spinning round curbs.

'I'm gonna be late, I'm gonna be late…' Kagome thought, running faster with each repeating syllable.

She was relieved when she found herself gaining on a school campus that was still swimming with students. She was NOT late.

She could have cried out in joy if she had not at that moment ran headlong into another person who was also running at a fast pace forward.

Kagome fell backwards and hit the pavement with a thump and a yell, cushioning her fall with outstretched arms.

The one above her had not fallen, only narrowed his eyes as he ignored the slight sting where her body had most forcefully collided with his.

She stared up at him and the bell rang; students began to disperse.

She rose hastily to resume her frenzied attempt not to be marked tardy.

The boy grabbed her arm before she had progressed two steps.

"Aren't you going to apologize?" The boy stared at her as his hand tightened, but he was mocking her.

Her anger and stress spiked when she saw the almost amused and bully-like glint in his eye and automatically jerked out of his hold.

"You were the one who ran into me! You should apologize!" She exploded.

"I wasn't running; you crashed into me while I was walking." Inuyasha defended himself.

"You lie! You would have fallen had you been walking!" Kagome cried out indignantly, hunger and dread gnawing at her stomach but the need to argue this out dominating all other sensible thoughts.

"Idiot. Tell me where Makawa's homeroom class is." His voice was rough and demanding. Kagome eye's glowed red.

"No! Firstly, it's Makawa-SAMA and secondly… You expect me to help you when you treated me so rudely?! Didn't anybody ever teach you any manners?! Leave me alone!" Kagome said as she turned on her heel to run into the looming building. The halls were beginning to empty.

Kagome was steaming by the time she stumbled into the classroom meekly with her head bowed.

"I'm sorry I was late. I was helping out a new boy…" Kagome explained hastily…

"Abandoned me is a more accurate description." The boy replied gruffly. Kagome's eyes shot up in surprise. How had he found the classroom???

"Luckily there were more decent people who would tell me the way." Kagome's eyes narrowed.

'I hate you.' She thought with all her might, hoping that he would somehow feel the mental message she was sending him.

"Please take a seat Higurashi-san so that we may continue on with class." The teachers voice said stiffly and she quickly sat down at her own desk.

The offending boy sat next to her.

"Ichiko-san, please read, starting on page forty-three." The teacher droned to a petite girl sitting a few rows up and a few aisles to the right. She was tiny and petite and wore glasses.

"… What is your name, anyway?" Kagome hissed to the arrogant boy sitting next to her.

"My name is Inuyasha, wench." Inuyasha stated as he kept his eyes firmly on the text.

"Don't call me wench. I have a name too you know." Kagome seethed under her breath.

"It would make a difference if you told me your name." Inuyasha smirked coldly back at her. She bristled.

"My name is Kagome. Stupid." Kagome retorted, her eyes turning vaguely back to the book to slip back to the place they were at.

She sighed as all the voices began to become a dull hum in her ears, the endless droning almost coaxing her into sleep.

She propped herself up on her elbow to sleepily follow her classmates' progress down the page. Seconds crawled by like hours and she waited for the day to end, like usual.

*

"We will be doing a large project this semester in which everyone will work in partners to somehow illustrate, retell, represent, or reenact a Japanese myth. This is your largest assignment, and I expect you to do your best with it. I will now name off the partners that I have assigned to be working together." The teacher said emotionlessly, the speech strangely practiced and boring.

"Tomie Ushida and Yoko Ushida.

Remi Takahashi and Ai Hamasaki

Kagome Higurashi and…"

Kagome held her breath,

"The new transfer student, Inuyasha Tsukino."

Kagome jaw dropped, her eyes bulged.

She didn't even think of watching Inuyasha's reaction.

*

Kagome waited grudgingly for Inuyasha to show up after school.

He stalked out of the building with a proud air about him but she stepped along side him without wincing.

"We have to get together and start our project." She spoke stiffly. She was too young for this.

"No we don't. You do it." Inuyasha stated.

"No way! I'd rather die you insufferably conceited jerk!" Kagome screeched back, almost slapping him.

His eyes narrowed and his lips thinned as he looked at her harshly.

"I wasn't serious you over sensitive cow." Inuyasha replied, glaring at her.

"When do you want to meet then? It can't be at my house." Kagome said matter-of-factly.

"Why not?" Inuyasha automatically replied.

"Because, first and foremost, I live at a shrine, and if you don't understand the importance of that, then it means that people will be coming in and out all day to pray. Secondly, my grandfather will most certainly think that you're a DEMON and be attacking you on and off all day." Kagome said with a cruel grin.

"I could take any old-" Inuyasha began before Kagome hit him hard over the head.

"Please don't finish that thought." Kagome growled, exasperated.

"I'll say what I please!" Inuyasha argued instantly.

"Not about my family! But anyway, it's settled then. It will be at your house and only common sense would schedule it for Sunday." Kagome said realistically, anger still evident in her eyes.

"Who gave you permission into my house?!" Inuyasha roared, finally recovering from her mean cuff.

"Unless you'd rather be attacked by Grandpa while putting us out of business." Kagome said, narrowing her eyes as if daring him to chose "B".

"Feh. Whatever wench. Sunday then, but if you're not there by noon, you'll have to do it alone or we'll just fail it!" Inuyasha sniffed.

She snarled at him. "Fine then, stupid head, where is your house?"

…

"Okay, I'll see you on Sunday then Inuyasha!" Kagome called out, intending to turn back and proceed to her swimming lesson.

"Fine, until then, wench." Inuyasha muttered back, thinking that she wouldn't hear it.

She turned back indignantly and caught herself when she saw him already walking away. Falling in step with him was a taller one slightly resembling Inuyasha who spared her only a half glance before calmly chastising Inuyasha- though she wouldn't know what for since his voice was so much more melodically soft and rhythmic than Inuyasha's loud and gruff voice.

She stared in wonder before her eyes filled with stars as she vaguely came to the conclusion that Inuyasha had a brother.

She giggled as she tried to shake his image out of her head before spinning and rushing to her swimming lesson before she was caught.


	3. Scene Three, Yin Yang

"I'm going to go now!" Kagome called over her shoulder, waving goodbye to her mother who was making cookies.

"Okay, be safe!" It was her mom's usual response, but it was always accompanied with the same genuine smile.

"Make sure Souta saves one for me!" Kagome spoke as an afterthought, dashing out into the courtyard surrounding the shrine.

"Okay, have fun Kagome!" Ms. Higurashi laughed.

"I'll try Mama! Ja matte ne!" Kagome yelled, then hopped down the shrine steps with giddiness.

It had been engraved on the back of her eyelids since Monday, the beautiful boy that Inuyasha walked home with.

Kagome giggled helplessly, shaking her head vigorously to clear the image. She was not able to tame the blush rising on her cheeks.

It was Sunday now, almost one week after the project had been assigned. Kagome had begged the teacher to allow them to write their own tale instead of retell one, and he had agreed with casualness.

Now they were writing their own myth.

Kagome walked on as her eyes clouded over, thinking of the different stories she could create.

She almost missed the house - if that was possible.

She froze mid-step when she was about to pass the huge gates, and that's when she dazedly realized; Inuyasha lived in a mansion.

It was not a exaggeration, Inuyasha's family was very wealthy. Or, more accurately, Inuyasha's father was very wealthy.

Kagome timidly walked up to the door and knocked lightly. Somebody automatically answered it.

"Good morning. I presume that you are Kagome-sama that will be studying with Inuyasha today? My name is Inutaisho, I am Inuyasha's father. It is good to meet you." The man's face was gentle and kind as he leaned down to shake her hand. He then stood to the side to lead her in.

When Inutaisho saw Kagome looking wonderingly at the hugeness and intricacy of the house, he smiled warmly.

"I am a very successful businessman, that is why I have such a large house." Inutaisho answered her unasked question.

"What kind of business do you work for?" Kagome asked foolishly.

"I own a very large business myself, actually, it is a computer company." Inutaisho murmured.

"Oh." Kagome said, still awestruck by the house.

Inutaisho stopped then, and Kagome skidded so that she did not step before him.

"Inuyasha is waiting in the dining room, which is right there." Inutaisho pointed out the door, then turned away.

"You're not coming?" Kagome asked helplessly, spinning to look pleadingly up at him.

"Ah, no, I have business to attend to. If you have any questions, Inuyasha will surely help you with anything." Inutaisho said before resuming walking.

Kagome watched until he disappeared up a set of stairs, gulped, then turned to walk toward the dining room.

Kagome sheepishly smoothed her pale blue denim skirt, ruefully picking off a cat hair and silently reprimanding Buyo for sleeping on her clothes again.

She felt so plain in this house, like a picture's space of white where the rest of the wall was covered in brilliantly colored paintings.

She nervously walked into the dining room, staring for a moment at the huge expanse of table and then following its length to an amused Inuyasha.

Kagome walked down the green carpet, dragging her hand along the finely polished wood as she went.

"Don't do that." Inuyasha snapped. Kagome's hand instantly jumped from the tabletop, dropping instantly to her side.

"You really didn't know that my dad was rich, did you?" Inuyasha smirked.

"Well, you never told me." She wet her lips.

"Didn't you hear my last name wench? Or are you deaf?" Inuyasha sneered at her as she sat on the chair beside him.

"I've never heard of you before." Kagome defended breathlessly, swallowing uncomfortably again. Inuyasha let out a snort of laughter.

"Whatever, let's just get this done with."

"Okay." Kagome said softly, not feeling she had the right to argue in his house - or a house of this caliber.

Inuyasha sniffed again, gesturing to a stack of unmarked lined paper.

Kagome timidly pulled it toward her, taking a pencil as well before sending a look at him that clearly said 'ponder' in the most commanding silent-order she could muster.

He sniffed again and then began a massive staring contest with the table.

Kagome began doodling on the paper, drawing squiggles and loops while she waited for Inuyasha to pull out a wonderful idea.

"Tell me again why we're writing our own story?" Inuyasha snapped, making Kagome jump.

"Be - because I thought it would be fun." Kagome said lamely.

"Fun." Inuyasha snorted, "A pain in the butt is all this is."

"Well… It would have to take place a long time ago…" Kagome began, looking at the scribbled up paper again.

"There's a decent start." A cool silky voice startled both of them.

Kagome spun in her chair to see who it was, while Inuyasha only glared.

"Get outta here Sesshoumaru. This is none of your business." Inuyasha growled.

"I will make my business whatever I will." Sesshoumaru retorted back.

"How old are you?" Kagome asked him suddenly, desperate for an answer before she forgot.

His abnormally pale hazel colored eyes trailed lazily to her slight form and he looked bored as he answered her rushed question.

"I'm sixteen years old. How old are you, brat?" Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes slightly, but Kagome didn't take it as a threatening gesture.

Kagome blushed in fact. "I'm twelve. I turned twelve on April the 14th." Kagome informed him.

"When's your birthday?" She asked as an afterthought. He looked offended that she continued talking to him, and swiftly turned away.

She looked disappointed until he said emotionlessly over his shoulder, "My birthday is on September the 10th."

She looked pleased but then exasperated as she yelled after him.

"My name is Kagome! Ka - go - me! Get it right or else I'll start calling you something mean too!"

He didn't glance back.


	4. Scene Four, Feudal FairyTale

The thunder clapped brilliantly outside her shut window, and she jumped when she heard it.

Raising eyes to the grayish sky outside, she sighed and tapped the sharp tip of the pencil to the clean sheet of paper again.

So far she had two lines.

'Project done by Higurashi Kagome and Tsukino Inuyasha.

We are writing our own myth taking place in feudal Japan.'

Rain beat heavily against her window and she heaved a great sigh as she harshly pushed her short hair from her face.

"Once upon a time in the feudal era of Japan, there was a… very powerful demon." Kagome scribbled her first sentence down as she tried to follow it up with another thought.

"The demon had white hair that dragged on the ground when he walked and silver eyes that were meant to hypnotize his enemies. He had many enemies because so many other demons believed that they could gain a wonderful title by defeating him, but he always won against them…" Kagome grinned from ear to ear, the lightness touching the deepest depths of her eyes.

-

"I actually decided to make him an angel, but everybody thinks that he's a demon because he's so mean and cold, even the gods forgot after the centuries that he was actually sent to earth to help somebody! Then, finally one god who still remembered his true entity sent down another angel and told her to save him and not persuade herself that she was any other being too! But then what happens is, while she's trying to find the demon that's actually an angel, she turns into a human! Or, at least she thinks she's a human. Anyway, so the days pass by and she still thinks she's mortal, until finally she's even surpassed his death - but now he's lost somewhere in the after-death because he supposedly didn't fulfill his purpose and she needs to help him now more than anything. The god that originally sent her tells her she that must go back in time to fix her mistake and then she realizes she's an angel again! She goes back in time and, in her search for the demon who's actually an angel, she meets another demon who she thinks might be him, but it actually turns out it's not! When she actually finds the other angel, she's scared of him, but then she knows he's actually the other angel so she tries to make him return to the heavens with her, even though it will bring her pain because she'll loose all of her friends that she's made! He doesn't believe her though, so she has to stay with him and try to persuade him that she's telling him the truth. In doing so, she falls in love with him and he falls in love with her too! When this happens their true forms are revealed and the boy angel is surprised to find out he had actually already helped the TWO people he was supposed to help out (and fulfilled his supposed purpose in life), instead of one, and the girl angel was sent down to earth for nothing because Fate would have sorted it all out, but then… They find they're happy with the outcome and live happily ever after. The end." Kagome smiled. "Do you like it?"

"It's too confusing. Why are girls so into romance crap like that? So we're writing a story that's essentially about a ton of stuff happening for no reason in the end cause Fate was just playing games?" Inuyasha grumbled, taking what she had of the story and goggling at it.

"You haven't even written that much down! You've only gotten to the part… His silver hair and silver eyes? Oh, he sounds attractive." Inuyasha rolled his eyes and returned the almost bare paper.

"Hey, it's better than you can do!" Kagome growled or snarled, glaring at him with murder in her eyes.

"Ehhhh… We can use it anyway though…" Inuyasha's face was of nervousness and dread, and he moved his hands in what could have been a potential defensive position if not a warding off stop sign sort of gesture.

"That's what thought." Kagome grinned triumphantly, waving the paper around with pride.

"Inuyasha." A voice interrupted them. It was Sesshoumaru. "Are you quite finished or need I leave without you?"

Inuyasha swerved his glare over to his half brother and turned from Kagome.

"I'll talk to you later Kagome." Inuyasha sniffed, walking ahead of his brother. Sesshoumaru continued to stare at Kagome.

"Hey Sesshoumaru!" Kagome smiled brightly.

Sesshoumaru inclined his head and was about to leave when she chirped sweetly, "How are you today?"

His pale brown eyes turned back to her slowly and he blinked. His neatly plaited sheets of platinum blonde hair tossed on the growing wind from its high ponytail. His black school uniform was flawless and barely shifted at all on his looming form.

"I'm doing okay." A smile turned his lips - maybe a curt one, but still breathtaking.

"You're a strange little kid." He commented, but she wasn't threatened by his almost offending 'nickname' - it was almost as if it was a pet name, or what was probably more likely, a more fitting amount of syllables to him.

Or maybe it was only Kagome that thought his voice and way of speaking was like poetry - it probably wasn't intentional and it may have been meant as an insult too. Only the thoughtful and almost scholar like glint in his eye convinced her that either his soul was contradicting him or he didn't mean for his words to be hurtful to her.

"You're pretty strange yourself - in a good sort of way." Kagome giggled back, leaning forward with a grin.

He nodded again, then, at the rude shouts of his brother, he turned from her.

"Bye-bye Sesshoumaru!" Kagome emphasized every syllable of his name, as if she were chanting, and giggled when he turned a questionable stare back at her.

She spun on her heel and began to proceed home, tasting the air on her tongue and recognizing its heaviness as the flavor of nearing rain. The scent was so fresh and beautiful, and she could almost feel it sliding down her skin.

'I love the rain!' She whispered in her mind, spinning in a wide circle as she stared up at the darkening sky.

"It's been raining so much lately." She murmured under her breath. "I wish it would rain forever…"


	5. Scene Five, Swim Away

'He came down to Earth as an angel, but after killing so many to find the purpose of his earth-bound mission, he forgot that he was a celestial being, and turned instead into a demon. This is how it was for a very long time, and he forgot all of his emotions as he adapted to a strangely unnatural position as a very powerful youkai lord.'

Kagome smiled brilliantly beneath the water, kicking with diligent vigor toward the very bottom, trying to retrieve the bright red ring. She was on the deep side now, doing a 'breathing exercise' in her swimming class, memorizing the newest addition to their story, which she had given to Inuyasha to work on for the rest of the day. She was so happy!

Her shoulder length hair was forced to latch onto her skull as she beat her legs to reach the bottom, the force pushing the black strands back. This way they did not whip into her face.

She wore a blue an yellow checkered (one-piece) swimsuit, and was one of the most advanced in her class.

She surfaced and took a deep gasp of air, holding the ring triumphantly over her head.

Climbing out of the water, Kagome automatically wrapped herself in a thick fluffy towel and walked, almost stiff with cold, toward the girls bathroom.

"Bye-bye Kagome-chan!" A voice called behind her, and she swung around to respond cheerfully to the farewell.

She bumped into somebody. Spinning back around in a flurry of color, she was about to apologize to the person when she recognized him - for his glare.

"Inuyasha! What are you doing here?!" Kagome exclaimed, stepping back in surprise.

"I came to give you this, wench, since I finished my part of it." Inuyasha barked, turning to leave.

"W-wait!" Kagome yelled, grabbing his arm with her free hand, the towel falling around her feet onto the tiles. "Why did you bring this all the way here?! How did you know where I was?"

"I brought this here because I don't want to be responsible for bringing it in tomorrow. I knew that you took swimming lessons cause you babble about it all the time. I knew which day because you ran out of school today to 'catch the nearest bus to the gym'. I figured it was this one, since it's practically the most popular one in the area." Inuyasha sniffed and turned his nose up, his arms crossed arrogantly across his chest as if impatient to leave.

Kagome was genuinely surprised by his sudden show of intelligence or common sense. It was so unlike him!

"Wow Inuyasha…" Kagome gaped at him, and he peeked one eye open to return her stare.

"What are you looking at? Just cause everybody thinks I'm stupid and ignorant… I'm not!" Inuyasha yelled and spun around to leave.

"Wait!" Kagome cried desperately for the second time, "how did you get here anyway? Did you actually pay for a bus cause you were so impatient?" Kagome looked at him skeptically. Was Inuyasha sick? She just couldn't believe he'd pester himself with finding her and getting off his lazy butt to come deliver a paragraph to her… It was almost sweet.

"Of course not! Why would I spend my money to get on a bus and come to your swimming lessons? I'm not like that you know! Find a different friend that'll worship you!" Inuyasha frowned at her, puffing up his chest more by the second. Maybe he wasn't so sweet after all.

Kagome giggled, and hit him on the arm, "how did you get here then, silly?! I was just wondering! You really haven't changed, it's just like you to jump to such conclusions without any evidence! I don't want anybody to worship me, just to be my friend!" Kagome grinned and waited for his reply.

"If I told you, you'd probably just go swoon over him some more." Inuyasha spat, clamping his mouth together in a disagreeable line.

"Sesshoumaru took you here?!" Kagome yelled excitedly.

"Yeah, he is old enough to drive you know…" Inuyasha said under his breath, studying her.

"Oh! Wait for me then! I want to go thank him!" Kagome cried and dashed into the bathroom, cunningly stealing away his favorite necklace to ensure his waiting.

"Ah! Thief!" Inuyasha shouted disbelieving when he noticed his loss.

But he wasn't… strange enough to walk into a girls bathroom either. So he waited.

Kagome rushed out of the bathroom, dangling the black beads and ivory colored 'fangs' that made up the necklace as she ran for the front entrance, gigantic pink gym bag in tow.

"Idiot!" Inuyasha howled, racing after her. Kagome was faster though, what with her experience in track and the muscle built up in swimming.

Her face was kissed by the chilly evening air when she stepped out the door, smiling into the street lamp and speeding cars.

Inuyasha soon appeared beside her, still holding their paper, amazingly, and panting for breath. She smiled calmly down at his bent figure and chastised him cheerfully.

"You can have some pretty dangerous stuff happen to you if you bend over right after you've ran. It's wiser to put your hands behind your head and walk around. You should also walk after sprinting so far!" Kagome grinned mockingly down at him as he glared up through his dripping bangs.

Kagome had caught an elevator down the four floors, Inuyasha had taken the stairs and hallways between. And he had never had to run so much in his life.

"So, where's your brother?" Kagome asked brightly, looking around for a car that looked fancy enough to belong to the Tsukino's.

"The black one." Inuyasha gasped simply, and she was able to see the rest. It was a very high rated car in Japan, also a relatively recent one. Kagome's eyes lit up with stars.

"Did Sesshoumaru pick that car out himself?" Kagome giggled unconsciously.

"Yeah, he did. Why? Does his car catch your fancy too? Let me guess, your boyfriend's dream car since you were young enough to fantasize about such things?" Inuyasha finally stooped up, regaining as much composure as he had ever possessed.

"What do you keep on talking about Inuyasha?! What makes you think I'm in love with your older brother?!" Kagome turned defiant, spiteful, and slightly guilty eyes on Inuyasha. He was grinning like a fool.

She frowned and marched up to the black car, opening the door and kneeling on the pavement to stare in at him.

"Hello again Sesshoumaru!" She cried cheerfully, gasping audibly when she was picked up and replaced after Inuyasha had rudely collapsed into the front seat, clasping the string of beads Kagome had 'stolen'.

He raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for her to continue.

"Thanks for giving Inuyasha a ride! It was generous of you! I'm glad I have this paper again, who knew what might have happened if Inuyasha had it for an entire night!" Kagome laughed over her blush, grinning friendlily into the car at him again.

"I did no favor for Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru said nonchalantly.

"Oh? Then why did you drive him here?" Kagome asked obliviously.

"It does not matter." Sesshoumaru responded stiffly, staring at her daringly.

"Okay then… Well, I'm still glad you came!" Kagome smiled at him, her eyes sparkling.

"Are you walking home?" Inuyasha asked suddenly.

"I've got to walk to the bus stop…" Kagome said, "Of course, it's a while away too…" She was about to ask why when it started to pour.

She yelled and jumped into the car on Inuyasha's lap, trying to avoid being pelted with the dagger-like rain of the monsoon season.

"Oh darn it!" Kagome yelled, blushing when she realized she had just jumped into somebody else's car without permission. "Ah, I'm sorry you guys. I'll have to go now so I don't get too drenched…" Kagome looked warily up at the swirling sky, filled with gray clouds. "I should have noticed this earlier!" She cried hopelessly into the rain shower, the humidity like a damp blanket even from inside the car, the rain splashing at least a few inches into the air once it his the sidewalk. She was not eager to get out of the sanctuary of the car.

"I will give you a ride." Sesshoumaru spoke from the background, and she almost jumped. She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled gratefully. "Thank you so much! I would have died out there!"

He nodded and his eyes sparked momentarily with amusement at her before stricken features, then gestured for her to climb into the back. Inuyasha slammed his door shut and rain jumped on the window, the outside filled with mist.

"We should all go buy slushies while we're over on this side of town! I hear that place is really good!" Her slim hand appeared as well as the top half of her body, she didn't wear a seatbelt, and she pointed out a small shop on the side of the road. Sesshoumaru looked back at her for an instant, then, letting loose a small smile, turned into the parking lot. They all bolted into the small building while the rain tumbled down in bucketfuls.

Kagome laughed cheerfully and proclaimed all three the splitting images of 'drowned rats dragged in afterwards by my cat Buyo!'


	6. Scene Six, Good Luck

Innocent Kisses in the Rain

Chapter 6

*

"The gods were so sad to see that an angel had turned into a demon in his thoughts that they felt they had to get him back. They sent another angel down to Earth to help him find his purpose in 'life' again - to help somebody (though nobody knew who it was) and to bring him back. The hardest part would be to find him, then to persuade him that she was telling the truth. They sent down another angel who was very sweet and kind and special. She could surely help him."

Kagome sighed as she walked home under the darkening sky, tired from a long day in school. It had been pretty hectic.

The streets roared with life; Kagome was walking the rest of the way home from the bus stop.

Inuyasha hadn't been at school that day so she hadn't had the chance to talk to him - or Sesshoumaru.

It got her to thinking how essential both of them were to a good day.

A wind whipped up Kagome's school uniform and she pushed her hair back behind her ears again, frustrated.

Their absence had made her strangely and abnormally cranky.

Kagome was coming upon the local park now. The huge slide and swing set loomed before her.

The first drip of rain hit her nose.

"No!" She cried, "not today! Why does it ALWAYS have to RAIN?!"

She burst into a run as the rain speeded up into bucketfuls upon her head. Her hair was stuck to her face so she didn't see the person saluted behind the hazy sheets of rain.

Until she flew into him, that is.

She shrieked as they both toppled head over heels, with her on top.

Her eyes snapped open and she stared down at the person beneath her and opened her mouth to begin her never ending apologies. The words slurred together and died out when she saw his face.

"Sesshoumaru-san!" She cried out as her eyes widened in shock. She hurriedly got to her feet and offered a helping hand up.

He was wearing his school uniform which, though wet and wrinkled now, still only complimented his 'natural beauty'.

He took her hand out of respect but pulled himself to his feet without her help; his weight might have pulled them over again. He was four years older, after all.

The rain beat down around them and Kagome flipped her hair out of her face again. She smoothed it against her scalp and tried to ignore the coldness around her as she faced the most beautiful human being on the face of the planet. The rain echoed in her ears as she tried to will words to her mouth.

After a few different ideas, she finally grabbed his hand and started running again.

"We have to get out of the rain or we'll catch cold!" Her decided phrase - it was supposed to make her sound sophisticated, educated, or organized. I don't know if she succeeded.

He smirked slightly as they sprinted through the mist of jumping water, her surprisingly keeping up and slightly ahead of him.

He didn't sicken easily. He could not remember a time that he was ill since he was only a child.

"… What're you doing down here anyway?!" Kagome yelled through the rain.

"I was going to the local shrine to buy a few good luck charms." Sesshoumaru answered back, amused.

"Really?!" Kagome asked as she nearly slipped.

"Yes. Why would I lie?"

"It's not that; I live at the shrine! I was wondering why you were so far out of your way! Your house is a couple busses from here, right?" Kagome puffed from the effort of talking as well as running.

"You live at the shrine?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"I told Inuyasha…" Kagome sputtered.

"I cannot trust Inuyasha to tell me anything." He nearly spat.

"Maybe he forgot? If he remembered, he'd probably tell you to try to persuade me to persuade my grandpa to give you a discount!" Kagome smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

He made no comment.

Finally they found themselves running up the shrine steps, panting from exhaustion and drenched with rain.

Kagome flew through the door with Sesshoumaru fast at her heels, and slid to a stop just inside her door. He almost bumped into her.

"Kagome! Thank heaven you're home! I was almost worried - Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Kagome's mother, may I ask your name?" Mrs. Higurashi's face flashed first with relief, then confusion, then unconditioned kindness as she looked over their 'guest'. Her emotions played on her face so evidently, just like Kagome's, for the whole world to see.

"I'm sorry for my intrusion, Higurashi-san. My name is Tsukino Sesshoumaru." Sesshoumaru bowed deeply in respect and his hair flung drips of water on the floor as he righted himself.

"It's nice to meet you, Sesshoumaru." Mrs. Higurashi smiled friendlily.

"Sesshoumaru intended to buy a good luck charm at first but when the rain came down all of a sudden we had to run for cover. Maybe you should stay here awhile Sesshoumaru." Kagome's accepting smile matched her mother's.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru, stay. I'll go make tea and tell Dad that you brought a customer." Mrs. Higurashi smiled again and hurried out of the room.

"Souta, would you please bring me a couple of towels!" Mrs. Higurashi called as an afterthought as she walked away.

The sound of feet meeting ground was heard and soon they were greeted by a small boy who appeared in the room with two large fluffy towels.

He froze for a second and seemed to survey Sesshoumaru.

"My name is Souta." He said finally, after Kagome commanded through chattering teeth for him to give them the towels.

Kagome took them and passed one to Sesshoumaru, who thanked her softly before letting down his hair and drying it tentatively.

She looked on in awe before she remembered her own growing clamminess.

She rubbed down her bare arms and legs and squeezed out her hair. Souta had quickly lost interest and wandered away, after receiving a soft greeting and reply from the usually quiet Sesshoumaru.

That was when Grandpa had sidled in holding a box of the shrine's good luck charms and had begun explaining the depth of their 'magical influence' to Sesshoumaru, who was nodding and listening as if genuinely interested.

Kagome had ran to help her mother, telling Sesshoumaru that she'd be right back and having the look of long suffering on her face. She'd obviously heard her grandfather's explanation on good luck charms many times before.

She soon came down balancing a platter of three tea cups in her arms, smiling as if pleased with herself.

Grandpa had wandered into the subject of their family history and all the preposterous stories of her ancestors. Sesshoumaru still looked intent on listening so Kagome politely interrupted Grandpa's rambling to offer them both tea.

Sesshoumaru nodded and gratefully took the steaming cup of tea from her.

Before Grandpa could start talking again she launched herself into idle, friendly chatter toward Sesshoumaru, rain serving as a background sound, softly.

"Will your father or mother be worried, Sesshoumaru, dear? You could use our phone if you'd like…" Mrs. Higurashi popped her head into the dining room curiously as if she had just offhandedly remembered it.

"My father is at work right now and… I have no mother or step-mother to speak of… Inuyasha will not care for my absence." Sesshoumaru said all this in monotone, though he lowered his eyes when he spoke of his mother.

"Oh, all right then darling. I didn't know, so I am sorry. I asked because I would be very worried if I didn't know where my Kagome was during the day… She has no father either…" Mrs. Higurashi said gently, though Sesshoumaru found himself warm instead of disgusted by her sympathy.

He glanced at Kagome, who's eyes were downcast as well.

This was a true family, even without a father.

Mrs. Higurashi walked out of the room with the parting reminder that supper would be soon and Sesshoumaru was welcome to stay.

Grandpa rose and announced that he had some chores he wanted to finish before evening's shadows fell, so Sesshoumaru hurriedly paid Kagome's grandfather for three good luck charms.

Silence fell over them except for the rain and the sound of cartoons on low.

"So… Why do you need good luck charms, anyway?" Kagome asked cheerfully - almost too cheerfully, breaking the awkward silence between them.

Thunder crashed and Kagome jumped before they threw themselves into the new conversation with evident relief. Sorrow was hidden behind both their falsely content or cheerful facades as memories were held tightly in secret, not trusting them out of their reach.


	7. Scene Seven, Strawberries and Haunted Ho...

Innocent Kisses in the Rain

Chapter 7

*

"The sixth grade level will be taking a field trip next week on Tuesday taking place during and throughout school hours. We will be asking chaperones to drive a chosen group to the place which you know grows your food. It is not a factory, but many strawberry fields - yes, like a pumpkin patch I suppose - where we will be given a tour of the very old facility and then will proceed to harvest the strawberries that are ripe by this season. After everybody has filled their own basket, we will go back into the facility and they will allow us to use their kitchens to make what we've decided will be a cake - dressed in strawberries. They will explain better when we get there. Please return this permission slip by tomorrow and the amount of money required to participate in this educating experience. If you have and family or friends that are sixteen or older we need as many chaperones as we can get." The teacher winked at them in what he hoped was a playful or friendly fashion, but the aura soon faded when the classroom burst into chatter and excited outbursts.

"I did forget to mention that those coming on this field trip will have to do a… uh - minor write up or report on our activities… How we did them, the information they give us about their history and about the production of… strawberries… Their seasons, their growing habits… You know what I am expecting…" He tried once more at a friendly face but instead gave them a tight smile. His eyes glinted almost evilly as he passed out the permission slips. Then the bell rang.

The class left with a groan and the murmurs of speech continued on into the hallway. Kagome smiled softly though as she rose to meet Inuyasha as he got out of his seat.

"You think your brother can do it? He's sixteen, isn't he?" Kagome asks hopefully.

"There's no way I'm going to ask my brother to breath down my neck while I do something as utterly stupid as picking fruit." Inuyasha sniffs, turning away from her to gather his books.

She huffs back at him and spins on her heel toward the door, "then I will ask him myself you big jerk!"

Inuyasha ground his teeth in annoyance and slightest jealousy as she walked stiffly out of the room. He did not want his older brother to go.

"I'll go." Sesshoumaru's short answer startled her but its evenness was a sign that he was indeed serious.

"Really?! That'll be so much fun!" Kagome exclaimed, having the undying urge to jump on him for a hug.

"I can imagine." Came the grumble behind them. A small smirk appeared on Sesshoumaru's lips.

Kagome looked away.

'Is he doing this because he wants to or because he wants to get Inuyasha angry?' Kagome thought, her face becoming somber.

"Many of the girls in my class have already decided to go. Woman and children." Sesshoumaru comically closes his eyes, leans his head back, and offers his now contented smirk to the sun.

"We're not children." Was Kagome's instinctive answer, and she saw his mouth twitch again.

"Of course not Kagome. You are much more mature than my brother." Sesshoumaru said loud enough for Inuyasha to hear.

Kagome mentally groaned as Inuyasha pounced on Sesshoumaru from behind; as they fell to the ground they began to wrestle - 'as boys will do' - and growling at each other like animals.

Kagome walked on.

*

"The angel was very good - the one that they sent down. She was the descendant of Uzume - the goddess of joy and passion. This woman would surely remind the so called demon about his heritage. If worse came to worse, this angel would not be embarrassed to seduce the 'demon' into coming back to heaven with her. She set out on her search."

Kagome looked through her window at the evening sky, smiling up at the stars.

'This field trip and the report we will have to write will be on top of writing our myth.' Kagome sighed mentally. 'I don't care what anybody thinks. Sixth grade is always going to be remembered as the most complex and exasperating grade - and period - of my LIFE.'

She rolled up in her pink sheets and dejectedly pushed the notebook and paper off her bed.

'Tomorrow Mom will give me the permission slip to turn in. And she agreed to chaperone. Just like Sesshoumaru… We can all eat so many strawberries we'll be so sick… And Sesshoumaru will smile… really big…' Kagome smiles as she falls into sleep about thick cotton candy clouds and the four of them eating so many strawberries that they didn't eat for a week…

*

"Okay! Everybody, please choose a group that you would be comfortable with traveling with and we'll go! I know the way so the parents can just follow me! The younger chaperones must go with an adult, for you will only acquire such high status or power once we've reached our destination." the teacher called above the excited chatter of the classroom in a joking matter, winking again 'playfully'. Kagome giggled and ran to retrieve Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha.

When everybody was with their chosen adult, they walked in an organized fashion to the parking lot. It just looked to a random observer like they were pushing and shoving and rushing to touch the car door first.

~ At the strawberry farm ~

The baskets were passed out and soon everybody was rushing through the vast fields of green speckled pink.

Kagome wore green jean shorts, a pink candy cane striped sleeveless top (the straps were about an inch thick), and a pair of brown hiking boots. Her hair flew about her as she dashed happily into the expanse of sweet smelling fruit.

Inuyasha followed her.

"I want to get really big ones so that Mama can make us a gigantic strawberry cake!" Kagome giggled as she dragged Inuyasha with her.

Sesshoumaru was assigned to kitchen duty for the first half of the trip and 'children supervision' for the second half.

Kagome and Inuyasha wandered farther and farther from the main body of students, searching for the reddest strawberries.

Soon it was relatively quiet.

"I hope it doesn't start to rain while we're out here." Kagome mumbles as she bends down to pick another strawberry. A gust of wind blows her clothes and she stumbles back a step. The sky is spreading grayness as storm clouds slowly creep and crawl across the once blue sky.

"Kagome. It would be safest if we started heading back now." Inuyasha warned, tossing a glance back in the direction they'd come. Almost completely on the other side of the field, the maze of small buildings are almost lost to the sky - small in the distance. But they were still on the grounds.

"You're the last person I'd think would be talking about safety, Inuyasha!" Kagome grunts as she pushes onward, the vines and stalks of strawberries beginning to grow wildly and unorganized, yanking at their clothes.

"You two have come pretty far out." A hushed voice speaks from behind them.

Kagome spins and sees a stoic Sesshoumaru, exasperation barely straining his features.

"See how many strawberries we've picked?" Kagome offers her white basket which is now bulging with big red strawberries.

Wind catches her again and she almost trips.

"We are going to go back now." Sesshoumaru speaks softly, halfway turning the other way.

He is not happy with them.

Suddenly Inuyasha rethinks his earlier request and tugs on Kagome's hand.

"He's just being a kill-joy Kagome. Let's see what's over the hill." Inuyasha insists, pulling her insistently toward the incline.

They were indeed heading toward a hill. Kagome is curious.

"Please, Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asks softly as she unconsciously lessens her strain against Inuyasha's pulling, "just a quick look. You can come too, and watch us…" Kagome begs him for permission.

His eyes narrow at her preference to his brother but he begrudgingly steps up beside them.

Thunder claps in he distance and Kagome stifles a whimper.

At the top of the hill they look down…

The building looks old, much older than the main buildings they had left behind.

The paint is peeling and it looks spooky - like a haunted house from a horror movie.

"C'mon, let's go look." Inuyasha grins and bursts down the hill, dragging a suddenly unwilling Kagome with him.

A strangled "no!" comes from Sesshoumaru as he sprints down behind them, and Kagome lets out a yelp as they hit level ground again. They are running toward what Kagome has dubbed the 'haunted house'.

It starts to rain.

As soon as Inuyasha pushes open the door and the three of them are all inside, they close the door and look around.

Kagome holds her breath, as if expecting to die at any moment.

"The others will have gone inside by now. We could catch sickness if we try to make it back to one of the main buildings in this weather. We'll have to wait it out in here." Sesshoumaru says thoughtfully, though he shoots a venomous glare at Inuyasha as if it was all his fault.

Kagome shakes out a head full of water and walks across the room cautiously.

She runs her hand across the dust covered table top.

"I heard a story about a supposedly 'ghost haunted' place down here. It used to be the main building until they started having problems." Sesshoumaru comments at the scattered sinks and pantry doors that are partway open.

"Haunted?" Kagome asks, choked with fear.

"Ghosts don't exist." Inuyasha bluntly states, brushing past Kagome and flinging open a door.

Kagome shrieks and throws herself backward but nothing happens. Finally, lightening lights the room and Kagome trembles.

She places her basket of strawberries on the table with shaking hands and begins to survey her surroundings.

"Mama will be worried." Kagome says softly.

"I'm sure she will. You should not have come out this far." Was Sesshoumaru's cruel response, but it was laced with frustration and disdain at being in an unplanned and unprepared for situation. The comment was obviously directed at both of them as Sesshoumaru gracefully took a seat on a tabletop.

Kagome picks up a strawberry and tearfully nibbles on the tip.

"At least we won't starve." Comes out of her mouth before she can stop it.

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru glance sharply at her but do not speak.

Time passed. They waited.

Kagome rose quietly and crept to the other side of the room when it seemed Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were occupied with another one of their arguments.

She cracked open a door and peered into the darkness, curiously.

Turning her eyes back to Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru for a moment, she made up her mind.

'While they bicker the storm away I'm gonna see what all this place had in it.' Kagome smiled an ironic but slightly troubled smile. 'How those most frightened by horror stories love to experience that fear so much - I'll never know. At least the thunder will be quieter if I go down there.' Kagome gulped and padded down the steps.

There were no lights.

Countertops and cabinets met her eyes, all shadowed in dense blackness.

Another crash of thunder.

Kagome gulped and changed her initial plan.

Crawling over to a corner, Kagome huddled in wait for the storm to subside.

*

"Kagome?" His voice called into the shadows of the supposed one floor building.

"We can go now, the rain's gone." Inuyasha called and walked forward, touching the strawberries she had placed on the table.

"Kagome?"

"Where did she go?"

"We need to find her." His firm voice was laced with worry.

They flung open every door as light began to beam in through the windows, and finally they found the door she had entered.

Darkness extended into every crevice in the wall, foreboding and tantalizing all at once.

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru exchanged a look and Sesshoumaru started down first.

"Kagome?" He asked into the darkness, seeming to park it as if it was water and he was stone.

She did not answer.

Inuyasha began to walk down after him. Birds began to chirp outside.

Reaching the bottom, Sesshoumaru tried the light switch. Nothing happened.

The sound of breathing was heavy in the silence, and Sesshoumaru tentatively followed his ears.

Kagome sat in a corner, staring at the floor as if trying to blot out the world.

Sesshoumaru kneeled before her.

"Kagome, are you okay?" Sesshoumaru asked gently, taking her trembling hands. Her eyes met his.

"Is the storm over?" She whispered.

"Yes. We're going to walk back now." Sesshoumaru said and pulled her up.

She rose on shaky legs.

They made their way back and Inuyasha looked at her curiously, following behind them.

Climbing the stairs, leaving the place, and walking back across the fields was a chore.

When they got back, the parking lot was almost empty. Mrs. Higurashi rushed to meet them though.

"Kagome!" She exclaimed and embraced her daughter.

"Mum. We went too far and had to stay at the old building over there for a while… Where is everybody?" Kagome murmured, looking around.

"Hon, that building was knocked down decades ago. You must have been seeing things. There isn't a building down there." One of the people from inside said at the doorway, "I'm glad you're all fine and healthy though." She turned back to her work.

"Yes, there was a building on the other side of that hill." Sesshoumaru firmly stated.

Kagome's mother shifted uncomfortably, "everybody else went home because the parents were calling worried. I said I'd stay and call your teacher as soon as you showed up." Mrs. Higurashi walked away with a stern look behind her.

"You said they talked about a haunted house back there Sesshoumaru." Inuyasha barked.

"I do not know." Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "This is unsettling, this confusion." He hissed.

Kagome rubbed her arms and ventured to ask the lady for a cup of tea.

She then realized…

"I left my basket down at the old ghost place!" She exclaimed, earning many demeaning glances. She blushed and looked away.

The lady smiled and agreed to give her another basket of strawberries when she was going to leave.

Kagome smiled brilliantly and promised Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha that she'd make the best cake ever and invite them and their dad over one night to eat it.

Kagome's mother came back and said she's take them home.

Kagome grabbed Sesshoumaru's hand and smiled brightly up at him. He blinked but returned the favor - just so long as Inuyasha was walking ahead of them and debating the existence of haunted houses with Kagome's mom.


	8. Scene Eight, The Race

Innocent Kisses In The Rain

Chapter 8

"The beautiful angel sent down to find the lost angel soon found a boy. He seemed to be the angel she was looking for, but looks can be deceiving. He seemed rude and cruel at first, and only showed a kind side sometimes. The gods that had sent her had described the physical features and general characteristics of the angel she was to find. He had silver hair, and silver eyes, and was expected to be, in his new state, perhaps rude or hateful. That was why the woman angel mistook a true demon to be the angel she was looking for."

-

Kagome's eyes drifted open. Sudden bursts of morning sunlight caused multicolored spots to erupt behind her eyelids as they snapped shut again.

Once she cracked them open again, the first thing to meet them was a ticking alarm clock.

It struck eight.

She yelled and tumbled out of bed, racing around her bedroom to get dressed in time for school.

"Bye-bye Mama!" Kagome called as she hefted her book bag over her shoulder and sped out of her house, down the shrine steps, trying to make it to school.

Luckily, five years of track practice kicked in and she had soon left the traditional structure belonging to her family, behind.

As she entered the building, she switched shoes and walked quickly to her homeroom class.

Upon entering, every head turned.

"Ahhhh, I'm so sorry, sensei. I didn't wake up on time." Kagome apologized deeply and bowed low. He fixed her with a cold stare but nodded her to her seat.

Inuyasha, who sat beside her, looked sideways and half smirked, half grinned, at her embarrassing tardiness.

"Jerk." She spoke under her breath as she flipped her hair over her shoulder and began taking notes on the lesson.

-

"Kagome. Do you want to come over to my house to work on our story today? It's due soon…" Inuyasha looked sideways at her and she looked back.

"I've got track today, Inuyasha. Maybe tomorrow, if my mom says it's okay…" Kagome trailed off.

"Fine. Whatever. I thought you wanted a good grade, but who cares?" Inuyasha's usual attitude returned and he stuck his nose haughtily up into the air.

"It's not that I don't want to!" Kagome cried desperately, catching hold of his uniform's top, "it's just that today is a big competition between us and a rivaling school and I can't miss it - even for studying!" She looked genuinely scared that he had stopped liking her by her refusal.

"I said I don't care!" He retorted, pulling himself out of her hold. They were standing outside the school.

She sniffed and turned away, getting ready to walk around the back of the school and receive the pep talk before they went to the local high school for the contest.

"… Good luck, Kagome." He said reluctantly, gritting his teeth as he could almost see her aura brighten and feel her cheerfulness fly.

"Thank you so much!" Kagome spun around and smiled widely at him, her heavy bag swinging behind her.

He nodded gruffly and spun around to proceed to walk home.

"What time is your competition?" A smooth voice asked softly, making Inuyasha freeze before he even dare run into his older brother.

Kagome turned back around curiously and smiled again when she saw Sesshoumaru.

"It's today at six o'clock!" She said happily, unaware.

"I wish you good luck as well, then." He allowed a small smile to light his features for a split second before turning away, gesturing for Inuyasha to follow him.

Inuyasha blinks when he sees her bubbly happiness as she skips away.

'He stole my line and now she's even forgotten I said it since… He said it!' Inuyasha thought hatefully, sending piercing glares to his older brother.

"What is it, sib? She is as young as yourself, you need not worry yourself about… Issues, between us." Sesshoumaru stated bluntly, walking on calmly as if announcing this meant nothing.

"She's older in mind than in body." Inuyasha automatically defended, "besides, what made you think I cared about what happens between you two? And what made you consider such a relationship yourself? What were you implying?!"

"I thought you did not care, little brother." Sesshoumaru spoke, smiling cruelly down at the younger.

"I can't believe you." Inuyasha hissed, and stepped before Sesshoumaru boldly.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed, but he made no further comment.

-

"Kagome, you're running the relay and the four hundred, okay?" The couch spoke surely, looking at each student as he announced their activities.

The students, of course, knew beforehand what events they would be competing in, but it had become a habit to hear it spoken before t actually happened or was announced on the loudspeaker.

"Yup, I'm prepared, sir." Kagome smiled up at him and he smiled back at her, moving on.

When they arrived on the track, there was a crowd seated in the bleachers. Some people yelled out their friends' names, while parents just clapped for them all.

Kagome smiled broadly and felt the wind pick up for a moment.

The 400 meter dash was first, then there were the hurdles and a couple other events, then there was the relay, then the 800.

Kagome lined up on the track, and steeled herself for the coming race.

Another wind gusted by, and soon enough the day was turning to early evening and Kagome was getting ready to go home.

She had taken first place in the 400. Her school had gotten second place in the relay.

She was walking towards her mom when…

"You did well."

She tensed momentarily then spun around at the familiar ring in his voice.

"Sesshoumaru!" She cried happily when she turned and saw him.

"My brother is at the house." He said, as if thinking that was what she wanted to know.

"Oh. Why are you here?" Kagome asked, undeterred.

"Inuyasha was commenting on your swimming ability. My mother used to enjoy swimming, and she was a stronger runner for it. I figured… If you could swim so well, I would know it by how you run." His logical voice was sweet but monotone, almost like poetry.

"Well, I like to swim." Kagome said the first thing she could think of.

He almost smiled.

"I could tell."

"Well then…"

"Congratulations. I have to go."

"Okay - thank you for coming. Sesshoumaru." She smiled softly at him and bowed.

"I enjoyed watching you." He returned with a nod, then turned and took out his keys.

"Do you like to run?" She called after him, and he threw a secretive glance over his shoulder back at her, finally letting an enigmatic smile cross his lips. Then he was gone.

"Is that your boyfriend Kagome?" Asked a voice behind her.

Kagome spun and saw her mother.

"What - No! He's in high school Mama! How can I like a guy like that! _Mama_!"

Her mother turned around, and, giggling, walked toward the car.


	9. Scene Nine, Issues of Math

**Innocent Kisses In The Rain**

"The boy-hybrid-demon who the she-angel thought was the other angel insulted her and made her feel hurt and hated sometimes - but she couldn't help but develop a mutual liking for him. Because she thought she was a human, her abilities decreased with her belief, and soon she might as well have been born a human. She was not good at anything - and this was the basis for his insults. When she accidentally shattered his most prized possession, he told her that it was her responsibility to help him find a person who could either fix it perfectly or create an exact duplicate. Unfortunately, they ended up traipsing all across Japan for the only magical-jeweler that could put it back together, chasing false rumors and fighting many demons because the angel still felt unmatched compassion for the rest of her supposed race."

"A math test?!" Kagome yelled in shock and agony.

"That's about the gist of it, Kagome. You need to learn to accept these things. You're such a poor math student. I used to have a friend that aced every class and still had every guy on her tail… You're so pathetic…" Inuyasha looked away with a scowl, but froze when he felt her glare.

"I don't care who I'm like or not like! I don't come from where you were, so I wouldn't know! I'm sorry for being so much more horrible than your _girlfriend_! I'm going home to study now, goodbye, _Inuyasha_." Kagome spun on her heel and stomped away, swiping away angry tears.

"Eh! Wait! Kagome!… She's _not_ my girlfriend!!" Inuyasha called after her, worried that she had gotten the wrong idea.

"Oh, so you were just one of the obnoxious guys that was 'tailing her'! **I hate you Inuyasha!**" Kagome broke into a run and away from Inuyasha.

He looked despairingly after her.

As soon as she reached the park, she regretted saying what she did to Inuyasha.

"I shouldn't have been so mean." She mused and sighed, bowing her head as she slowed to a depressed walk.

"Do you like my little brother so much that you would regret speaking your mind or acting as yourself?" A voice interrupted her thoughts. For once she wasn't so flustered by his voice - perhaps it was because she was so used to t by now, perhaps because she felt so glum.

"It's _not_ myself. I'd like to think that I'm not usually like that…" Kagome choked back a sob.

"You can't change what you are. It must be a part of you that someone loves." Sesshoumaru said, falling into step with her.

"Love a raging psychopath with an anger problem and a big mouth?" Kagome said monotone.

"That is a bit of an exaggerated synopsis, don't you agree?" Sesshoumaru fought a smirk at her intense wording.

"I don't care. I said I hated him." She kicked a rock.

"He does demand that sort of remark most of the time." Sesshoumaru agreed and finally grinned down at her. "It's in his own… 'lovable' nature… Or else you wouldn't be despairing over such a minor insult. He hears it often enough." He turned his head up in silent glee and laughter.

"You're so mean to him." Kagome said but smiled a little smile up at him. He looked so amused - in an evil sort of way.

"… Did Inuyasha send you to calm me down?" Kagome suddenly asked suspiciously.

"No. I would not have agreed or consented to any such petty demand or question of favor." Sesshoumaru stated bluntly, serious all of a sudden.

"You came because you could feel my mad aura all the way from your high school?" Kagome asked skeptically - with a fait amount of worry in her voice. The majestic Sesshoumaru _would _have such an ability… And after the vanishing house… Anything was possible, right?

"No. Inuyasha was sulking and said he had insulted your intelligence." Sesshoumaru said, an air of teasing reaching his tone again.

"I'm sure he did not use such long words." Kagome sighed as she watched the pavement.

"No, something more along the lines of… 'Kagome hates me cause I said she does math bad.'" Sesshoumaru sniffed, regarding the sky.

"It couldn't have been that grammar-ridden Sesshoumaru." Kagome reproached him with disbelieving eyes and he flicked his eyes back down at her for a brief second before raising them again.

"It does not matter. He's a being without a cause." Sesshoumaru stopped walking with a resigned smirk, his eyes closed and his head slightly bowed as if in silent remembrance or laughing. "But tomorrow I'll help you study for your math test, if that's what you want." His eyes flickered open again as he turned around and the wind picked up his ponytail again.

"… That would be soooo nice of you Sesshoumaru!" Kagome squealed finally, spinning around. "Do you want to come to my house or should I go to yours?"

"We will study at your own house, Kagome." He said, and she could almost hear laughing in his voice again. He was in a good mood today.

A few days later

"Wei! I got an 'A'!!!" Kagome cried out triumphantly, waving her perfect paper high in the air.

Inuyasha's jaw dropped across the classroom.

"… What did _you _get, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked slyly, slinking over to his 'corner'.

He quickly hid his 89% 'B' in his notebook.

_She looked like the cat who had caught the mouse._


	10. Memories Part I

"It wasn't far into their journey though that the she-angel finally met the hybrid's infamous half brother, who despised the human race. She felt something strange when she first met him, and after that she finally realized that she was chasing the wrong 'demon'. She left the half demon in search for his brother in order to try and convert him back to the heavens. He hated her at first, but after a while her incessant caring and unconditional kindness changed his opinion of her. She was also falling in love with him."

"Remember that your projects are due tomorrow, everyone. Have a good day."

Kagome smiled over at Inuyasha and rose to collect her things.

"We'll go over to your house today to finish it up, okay?" Kagome asked sweetly, slinging her bag over her shoulder when Inuyasha nodded, blushing beet red.

"Our project is due tomorrow, so we're going to go over to your house today to finish it. Is that alright with you, Sesshoumaru-san?" Kagome asked, smiling up at him.

"It's fine with me as long as you don't make a lot of noise. I have tests to study for." Sesshoumaru said nonchalantly.

"Okay! Thank you Sesshoumaru-san!" Kagome spoke obliviously to Inuyasha's steaming ears.

"Why does he have to know about everything we're doing?! Kagome! Why do you always suck up to him!" Inuyasha fumed with jealousy and hatred dripping like venom from his voice.

Sesshoumaru was walking ahead now.

"It's polite to respect your elders." Kagome defended, "besides, it's his house too. I don't want to be a discomfort to _anybody_." Kagome looked angrily at him, blush tainting her cheeks, and an accusing 'how dare you embarrass me like that in front of him?' look in her eye.

"Whatever." Inuyasha glared at her and then at his brother's back.

Kagome turned her gaze to the sky and groaned. 'I hate it when this happens.' She thinks exasperated.

They sat at the table that Kagome had once been afraid to touch.

"We ain't gonna get any points for presentation, that's for sure." Inuyasha grumbled as he drew a hot white line across the grubby gray-tinted sheet.

"Yes, we'll have to rewrite it to get all your spelling and grammar mistakes gone as well." Kagome said smartly.

"Well then, Miss Perfect. What do you want to do?" Inuyasha spoke sarcastically.

"You have a computer, right Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, looking over their paper.

"Of course I do. Don't you?" Inuyasha snapped. She didn't answer him but continued.

"We'll use your computer to type it then." Kagome decided.

"Okay. It's in my dads office." Inuyasha said and turned away, starting to walk.

"Is that OKAY?!" Kagome sputtered, hurrying after him.

"He won't mind." Inuyasha brushed the question aside.

"He won't mind or he won't know?" Kagome hissed, holding the paper to her chest protectively.

"Do you want to get a good grade or not?" Inuyasha asked carelessly.

Kagome groaned and hurried after him.

"What about your brother? Will he tell on us?" Kagome asked.

"He's too high and mighty to stoop to tattling." Inuyasha assured her, leading her down a hallway of dull pictures and pale blue walls.

"Is this where your dad's office is?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah. Our rooms are on the right side of the staircase and Dad's office and the library are on the left side." Inuyasha said, bored and lazily.

"Oh." Kagome said softly, looking at all the pictures.

"We usually aren't allowed in his office - well, me. Sesshoumaru's 'trusted'. But I'm sure Dad won't mind as long as we don't 'disturb' anything." Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Are you sure?" Kagome asked uncertainly, creeping down the left side of the hallway.

"Yeah." Inuyasha returned, distractedly.

The office was… clean.

A small bookcase occupied one of the walls, a desk with neatly arranged contents was almost against another, and two white boards, side-by-side was on another. File cabinets resided next to the desk and two computers sat on the "L" shaped desk. Both were high tech, expensive computers. A typewriter was also present. Everything was neat.

"Who types faster?" Kagome asked innocently, moving closer to the black screen of the closest computer.

"Who owns the computer?" Inuyasha snorted, as if the mere thought of a girl that had never owned a computer could type at all was hilariously insane.

"My father used to own a computer you know!" Kagome retorted, then swallowed or choked when she realized what had slipped her careful barriers.

Inuyasha eyed her, shocked; it was the first time she had mentioned the existence or remembrance of a father at all.

He made no further comment, instead turning to the monitor and pressing the larger circular button.

Kagome stared, determined not to show any emotion, as a brilliant green light glowed around the button and shimmered and hummed.

There was silence, both avoiding questioning the other, when Inuyasha finally sat down and brought the paper next to the keyboard.

Kagome waited while he pulled up the word program and then he hesitated.

He turned soft eyes to her and his lips parted…

"Do you want to type it, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked apologetically.

The dam broke.

Sick from humiliation and despising herself for making him feel awkward or sympathetic… He would never look at her the same way again! Kagome bit down on her lip harshly and repeatedly chanted how idiotic and stupid she was.

"My father is dead, Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled, sure that it was only a whimper until he recoiled from the loud noise and then she realized her final mistake.

She spun on her heel and bolted, not caring about the project or the stairs or the distant doorway that she would run into if she didn't remember to open it…

It felt like 'de ja vu' - and then she remembered and the emotions engulfed her like nothing ever had… She was loosing control and common sense as memories rushed back and she forgot where she was… She would never laugh in the future at the silly reason she was acting this way…

"_Kagome!" Her mother's broken voice called across the yard, a sudden hiccup jolting her mother's body and her voice cracking somewhere between the second and third syllables. It sounded like a mournful wail as Kagome's head lifted curiously from her place behind the fence, playing with her friend, Takaya._

"_Mama?" Kagome had asked softly, climbing back over the fence and cautiously approaching her mother, who was almost insane with grief._

"_My Kagome…" Her mother had murmured unknowingly, gathering her little daughter up and embracing her almost so that the said infant couldn't breath._

"_Mama… What's wrong?" Kagome had tasted the words that now tasted like ash - she could feel her mother's intense anguish. She was confused._

"_Your daddy has gone someplace Kagome…" Her mother had choked out. She had never had to explain this before. "He won't be coming back…" Her mother's tears had been salty on her tongue._

"_Where did Daddy go?" Kagome had asked uncertainly._

"_Don't worry… It's beautiful there…" Mrs. Higurashi had spoken softly, stroking her daughter's hair._

_The six-year-old Kagome had asked no more questions. She didn't understand fully, 'death', so it seemed to her that Mommy was just upset that it would take a while for Father to return._

_Kagome's mother had moved out of the house almost a month after Daddy 'left', desperate to leave for some reason. They had sold almost everything in order to get there, since Kagome's mother no longer had a seemingly endless supply of money…_

_Even though the Higurashi's had been a wealthy family, once the youngest had married into a poor family they had nearly disowned her._

_Mrs. Higurashi had been pregnant with Souta at that time so Grandpa took mercy on them and accepted them back into the old shrine._

_Mrs. Higurashi promised Grandpa could inform Souta about the family shrine and offer its ownership to him after Grandpa's death, but nothing would be forced. Even then she wanted a good life for her fatherless children._

_Grandpa and Mother must have made up because Grandpa assured them that they were allowed to remain in the shrine complex even after Souta became of age to be left there alone to 'train'._

_Kagome's mother helped around the shrine and Kagome always assumed that Mama and Grandpa had a good relationship because of all the genuine smiles between them after that._

_It was only when Kagome turned ten and ventured to ask her mother when Daddy was _really_ coming home that her heart shattered as her mother's had that fateful day._

"_I guess you're old enough to know now… You're a big girl Kagome…" Mrs. Higurashi had almost groaned the words out, and the year after Kagome's mother had raised enough money to get them to her father's gravesite and back… Kagome had cried…_

Kagome shook her head furiously and continued running, vaguely aware that she was rushing down the street now.

'_I took track to learn to run… I took swimming to learn to escape… I got good grades to learn to be distracted… I didn't care about beauty because I didn't want anyone to get close…' _Kagome thought tearfully as she sprinted till her legs almost gave out beneath her.

She was at the park.

"Kagome… You forgot your backpack…" A voice sounded behind her. She spun around and saw a Sesshoumaru standing there, watching her intently.

"I don't want _pity_." Kagome declared as she retrieved the bag from him.

"I do not pity you." Sesshoumaru said calmly, his eyes emotionless.

"Why didn't Inuyasha come?" Kagome spoke sharply, not liking the difference of his response to the usual sympathetic, setting-apart smiles or looks. He almost looked like he understood… Something in his eyes assured her that he was a friend and not somebody just staring at the sidelines, secretly saying 'I'm so glad that it wasn't **my** father…'

"My idiot brother did not want to face you, being the weak spirit he is." Sesshoumaru tilted his head. "The best thing he's ever lost was his girlfriend. He did not even truly… love… her. He only pretended to be special in that way. His mother died… He was too young to remember her. He will not commit himself to pretend to care." Sesshoumaru hissed.

"… Thank you." Kagome said softly, shouldering her bag.

He nodded curtly and moved to leave.

"I've read your story," Sesshoumaru suddenly said, "I'm sure Inuyasha won't find as efficient an ending as you would have, but I admire your… plot. You seem to have incorporated Inuyasha into your hybrid character… For he too would have only seen that the 'jewel' was shattered and not that a new one was obtained…"

Then he walked off. Distant lightning crackled in the sky.


	11. Memories Part II

**Innocent Kisses In The Rain**

"He had also fallen in love with her. With his love, his true form emerged! In the lace of the formally hateful demon, an angel stood! Kagome told him his past, and was about to take him back to the heavens when… Inuyasha ran into the clearing and screamed at the she-angel… She hadn't kept her promise to help him complete his jewel! She smiled as she floated higher and higher, hand in hand with the other angel, and dropped the remaining piece of his possession to him. Then they disappeared. Both angels were accepted back into the heavens and treated with utmost respect. They are always now in Japanese mythology linked together, and they still live happily to this day, forever…"

Kagome looked across the classroom at Inuyasha.

His head was bowed but sometimes he would send her an unsure look through his bangs.

Kagome hissed silently every time she was able to spot pity flicker in his eyes.

Sesshoumaru had taken the 'news' much better.

Did the whole school have to know?

How would they react?

'_My daddy is dead, I would say to them all, Do you pity me?' _Kagome's eyes narrowed again.

Nobody though, knew how her father died. Or the episode as she found out…

Nobody knew that she still had vivid memories of her life before Daddy 'left'.

Nobody knew the paralyzed but painfully alive expression on her mother's face, or how it all changed after that…

She stopped the bout of memories before she began remembering the months after that happened.

Her mother collapsing before the sink on her knees, a sharp kitchen knife clutched in her hands, her knuckles visibly white, even from a distance, her sobs evident even outside the sealed back door… Her mother had been cutting carrots… Grandpa had stepped up beside her and automatically led her off, raising his voice to an almost deafening level as he told her yet another of the outrageous stories of her families history…

Or how Mama would get close to helping her with her homework, but halfway to the table would meet her daughter's bright eyes and turn away.

After her father's death, Mother would always make sure her bangs fell across her face, not brushed behind her ears.

Mama, back in the 'old life', when she had long pretty hair, would pull it back into a French braid or at least a rubber band, or while cooking would pretend to be frustrated beyond belief and threaten to chop off her hair with the knife she was holding… if the hair didn't automatically disappear… Kagome would laugh as she would dramatically push it behind her ear, then throw an exaggerated fit when it fell in her face again… After Daddy died, she kept it in her face.

Mama seemed a lot younger before Daddy died as well. Her hair almost extended to the curve of her hips, and her eyes were always bright with laughter and love. She wore denim shorts back then, and big t-shirts that she had hand painted to say silly things like "Don't Threaten Me… I Have Kids At Home That Are Still In Their 'Glittery Sharp Objects' Phase!" Just to make Kagome laugh, of course…

It was more like a teenage aunt-little niece relationship… Well, except when her mother grounded her or had that truly agitated look on her face… And she always had the experience and chef's hand of an old cook… And her smiles seemed practiced - but still sincere… As if she'd had many years to perfect it so that everyone who saw it would smile…

She acted like a kid sometimes, and like a jaded adult at others times…

When they moved to Tokyo, Mother's first change was to cut her hair very short. She filed down all her nails and sold all her clothes… She suddenly seemed to acquire wrinkles where her beautiful complexion once was… Her hair began to fade from silky black to intangible navy… Grayness camouflaged but still there. Her smiles became tired but loving. Her energy waned… Soon she was not a sinew and lean mother of twenty-eight, but a more… slightly pillow-y-like mother of thirty some odd… She didn't seem to want to look pretty anymore… But she was still kind.

Kagome was beginning to wonder if the version of Mother that screamed "I love life!" in a black swimsuit at the beach, posing for Dad… was an illusion or figment of the imagination…

Mom now looked like nothing mattered but the well being of her children… Her smiles became supportive, but not so wide as they used to be…

Her eyes were friendly and warm… but not happy-go-lucky or endlessly cheerful or hopelessly optimistic…

She was a beautiful woman, but did not want to be beautiful anymore…

She was the perfect mother… That was all that mattered.

Kagome forgot - was the former mother just a fantasy? Mom had come to hide the sadness so well… Had she ever fallen asleep sobbing? Had she ever whispered wonderings to the cat as if she were insane?

It was doubtful.

Kagome knew that, not even a year from now, her mother's tired smile would be more natural and familiar and _right_ to her than the other one that seemed to shine with its own light.

Kagome already forgot - what had mother's apron read not even six years ago? Half her life ago? Vague memories…

What was the name of Mom's favorite cooking pan?

What was the nickname of the dysfunctional cooking glove?

What -

"Higurashi Kagome and Tsukino Inuyasha - do you have your project?" His voice rung out over the class.

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha.

He nodded and approached the teacher with their assignment.

"Good. Now -" He was about to call out another name when…

A sound like an insistent siren boomed out from the doorway.

Fire alarm.

'_Or was Mama's hair __**always**__ short?'_

Kagome's eyes widened as the memories blanked out in her mind.

She had forgotten.

Her head bowed in pain.

"I've forgotten…" She whispered.

"Come on Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, and she distantly felt an arm grabbing her elbow.

"What was the name of Mom's favorite restaurant?" Her hoarse question barely reached his ears.

He glanced wonderingly down at her before dragging her to the line of students.

"We went there all the time, and she always spent like… ten dollars on our favorite dessert every time… Even in the mornings when we went there… Or was it eight dollars? I think it opened at two in the afternoon… It was one of those places that are only open for lunch and dinner… Or maybe that was Dads…"

"Stop it Kagome! We have to move!"

Mom wasn't like that at all… She didn't believe in treadmills and she couldn't stand set-ups… or push-ups for that matter… She wasn't in any clubs in High School… Maybe she never looked athletic like that? Was I dreaming?"

"Kagome!"

The voices echoed into nothingness…

"Well, I wonder if that cook is going to be fired?" She giggled.

"I don't think I'll be eating in that cafeteria again, if that's the extent of their cooking abilities… Why are they even in a school if they act so _stupid_?"

"I probably would have set the oven on fire too…"

"You're twelve, not forty, and nobody expected you to be able to do anything right…"

"Well, at least that got me out of Math…"

"I was almost wondering if we'd ever have to come to this school again…"

"Nothing that wonderful would _ever_ happen…"

…

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yes?" Kagome glanced wearily at him.

"Why were you so upset today?" He asked curiously, half afraid of the answer.

"Oh… I was just thinking Inuyasha!" Kagome tossed her hair as she swung her head to look at him, a falsely bright but still shining enough to be convincing smile on her face. Her eyes were closed in a supposedly cheerful manner. Inuyasha looked away with a blush, but Sesshoumaru stared hard at her from his position, and he knew she was lying.

They all lied, when something like that happened.

"Are you still ma-" Inuyasha began…

"I can't believe there was a _fire alarm_ today! I wonder if the cook got fired? I've never burnt anything in my life!" Kagome rushed into idle chatter, trying to change the subject.

"What all have you cooked in your life?" Sesshoumaru contributed to the conversation only because he knew that if they did not get the conversation underway, Inuyasha would be able to turn back and keep asking her questions that would make her uncomfortable.

She looked at him gratefully.

'_What are friends for?'_ She smiled as she thought this… She wondered if he thought that when he curtly nodded at her.

"I've cooked plenty!" She said, falling out of a sort of drama she had felt like she was playing in all day…

"Like?" Inuyasha joined with a grin.

Her smile became genuine as they had an animated argument about Kagome's cooking abilities…

The wind had already gusted her memories away…


	12. Scene Ten, Desiring Ice Cream

Kagome sprinted down the street.

'_Inuyasha should have been at school today! We got our grade back!' _Kagome thought excitedly.

Kagome bubbled with excitement as she shifted her pack on her shoulder, rounding the corner with a skip in her step.

'_Mom's gonna be so happy! I can't believe it!' _Kagome grinned madly and giggled hysterically, gasping for breath as she came out of her laughing fit.

She hopped up the steps and caught her breath, donning a smile that lightened her fizzing root beer colored eyes by five shades.

She gave herself one more moment of careless bliss and then rung the doorbell. She was greeted by a stoic Sesshoumaru.

"Good afternoon Sesshoumaru! Where's Inuyasha? He wasn't at school today, and I was really worried. We got our paper back and we got a 97%! We got a few points off because of some grammatical problems and one or two spelling errors, but the teacher really liked our story! I'm so happy!" Kagome spun once on the porch and then pounced into Sesshoumaru's arms, hugging him with a catlike smile on her lips and her closed eyes in two ecstatic thick black upward arcs.

She yelled though and recoiled when she felt a burning cold against her stomach and almost all traces of pure happiness were lost in the depths of curious chocolate orbs to replace the emotion.

Sesshoumaru fought a smile as he shifted his hand up so she could better see the paper container of ice cream in his hand, labeled "moose tracks". It probably had a three inch diameter across the bottom and could have been five inches tall. It was obviously store bought because of the horribly tempting pictures of perfectly posed ice cream decorating the front and a brand name etched in bold letters across the top.

Sesshoumaru's face lightened with amusement (slightly) when he observed her envious dazedness. She was drooling. She was out of it.

He opened the door further in a silent invitation to enter, and she walked in as a zombie would, in a trance, her eyes staring motionless at his hands and what they held.

By the time he led her to the table, she had forgotten what she had come for.

"Do you like ice cream, Kagome, or have you finally turned into a female in the face of my good looks?" Sesshoumaru couldn't help but taunt.

She swallowed once, as if she had forgotten how to talk. He smiled menacingly.

He sat across the table from her and put the ice cream on the surface of a smaller table behind him.

She whimpered.

"Inuyasha was sick today." He either said this matter-of-factly or as if she was a child who did not understand some trivial detail. She could not tell the difference while waves were rushing in her ears and the promise of cold sweetness loomed on the horizon.

"I went to the store a while ago… I've been being my brother's slave all day. My father insists that I remain home when my little brother is sick - probably for fear the rat will destroy something valuable." Sesshoumaru sniffed in sudden distaste, but soon returned to the conversational tone, hoping that she would soon begin begging. It would be so amusing after the hectic day of being reduced to maid-servant.

"I decided I needed a bit of a… relief from the day that seems will never end." He smirked as she leaned over the table, but his eyes widened when she seemed to snap out of it.

"I'm sorry about that - for your hardship and Inuyasha's pain. Is he sleeping? I could stay and… keep you company." He couldn't miss how her eyes wandered longingly to the ice cream cup for a moment, falling back into their sluggish desire.

"Indeed, the brat is asleep. You may keep me company - you should call your mother. I'll get you the other one." They both knew what he was talking about and a wonderful smile alit her features as she nodded deferentially and turned to the phone.

"Sesshoumaru!" A hoarse voice called from upstairs.

"Perhaps he will die." Sesshoumaru mused under his breath, just before he turned away from Kagome and toward the staircase. He had been about to bid Kagome farewell; the sun was setting and the ice cream was gone. He closed the door and cast a slightly apologetic glance at Kagome, who only smiled at him in return. She could be patient - she wanted to say goodbye to him for real!

"That's mean Sesshoumaru!" She hissed reprimanding, but there was a hint of laughing in her voice that had been acquired over the last few hours of laughing endlessly with Sesshoumaru over cool ice cream.

They had watched a sappy romance movie to bide their time (after Kagome remembered what she was there for), and they both laughed tearfully when the kissing parts came - well, Kagome did. Sesshoumaru managed a few barely contained smiles, and his eyes danced with glee when she laughed. They had fun mocking the characters in the new film - it was terrible.

Sesshoumaru looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but if the sparkle in his eyes was any hint, he would have smiled.

Kagome dashed to the foot of the steps and swung around the corner, a hand cupped around her mouth and the other holding onto the wall so she wouldn't fall.

"We got an A on our assignment Inuyasha! Get well soon!" Kagome called up the stairs and then skipped back to Sesshoumaru.

"Sesshoumaru! Kagome! - eh!" Inuyasha sounded flustered and confused, but Kagome was already at the door with Sesshoumaru again.

"Control your selfish whining for ten minutes, Inuyasha, I'm going to drive Kagome home. If you die, it's because you have no endurance and because you are an insufferable weakling." Sesshoumaru's voice was bitter and hateful, and Kagome shrunk back meekly from the tone.

Inuyasha yelled indecipherably but Sesshoumaru had closed the door already.

The buildings passed them by with a 'swoosh', and Kagome watched the yellow streaks on the asphalt shoot past with seemingly infinite interest.

"Thanks for letting me have ice cream with you today Sesshoumaru - I had fun watching that movie with you too!" Kagome said absently, but a smile unconsciously lit her lips at the memory.

"I was thankful for your presence as well. I would have murdered Inuyasha in his sleep had I no potential witnesses." Sesshoumaru said nonchalantly, and Kagome tore her eyes from the road to observe his face.

Why did he hate Inuyasha so?

Sesshoumaru had lost his mother when he was very young, and Kagome had lost her father when she was very young. All they had spoken about their deceased parents… Had been simple sentences.

A mere acknowledgement of their absence from the world.

Kagome shook her head and smiled again.

"Thanks for the drive too, Sesshoumaru, you're so nice!" Kagome smiled and tossed her hair. He could not help a small smile.

"This is it Sesshoumaru!" Kagome cried, and he slowed and pulled over next to the park.

"I can easily get home from here." She grinned and opened the door, sliding out.

"I'll see you later Kagome." He said with a nod.

"Yeah, hopefully tomorrow if Inuyasha comes to school."

He nodded curtly and then drove away.

Kagome looked after him and then turned toward the direction of her house, sprinting to reach the shrine before the last ray of light retreated behind the mountains.


	13. Scene Eleven, To You of That Day

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

Kagome clipped the final rose and dashed inside.

She retrieved a chair from the table and dragged it to the counter, standing on it to take the small glass vase.

Filling it with cool water she grinned again and dropped the three roses inside it.

She set it on the table then dashed to wake up her mom.

"I want to ask Eri to bring her karaoke machine and go swimming for my party!" Kagome giggled.

"You want to go swimming first, right?" Kagome's mother smiled down at her.

"Yup! We can go to the gym that I take swimming lessons at and reserve the pool for an hour, then we can come home and sing and eat forever!" Kagome spun around.

"Forever? You'll miss all of your other birthdays!" Kagome's mother joked.

Kagome laughed and then bounced towards the phone.

"I'm to call and see if everyone can come next week, okay?" Kagome smiled and reached for the phone.

"Do you know who you want to invite?" Mrs. Higurashi asked, puzzled.

"Yup, I've been planning this for a while now!" Kagome grinned again and spent the next hour on the phone…

-

Kagome donned her blue one piece and a gigantic white cover up shirt that had a short blue line of waves across the center and above it, in bubble letters, "BLUE".

Kagome's mother smiled and they walked from the house toward the bus stop.

Grandpa and Souta followed close behind.

The water was room temperature against their skin as Kagome splashed into the pool with her friends.

Among them were Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, though Sesshoumaru chose to read on a lawn chair instead of swimming.

Inuyasha wore bright red swimming trunks and his hair loose, as always. It splashed down his body and concealed his body, but he still crossed his arms over his chest and looked away blushing when all the girls giggled.

Sesshoumaru wore a black swimsuit, though his Japanese Lit. book was perched on his upraised knee.

His sunglasses sat high on his head and his honey colored eyes were completely engrossed in the book below him. He didn't notice when Kagome took a picture of him.

"Did your mom make a cake?" One of Kagome's friends asked excitedly, and Kagome nodded brightly. Then she turned to face her mother.

"Is Sesshoumaru coming?" She whispered.

"Yes, he's right over there - I thought he was going to drive to the shrine himself?" Kagome's mother looked down at Kagome.

Kagome grinned slyly and gestured for her mother to lean down…

-

"Sesshoumaru! Wait!" Mrs. Higurashi called out and Sesshoumaru paused.

"I'd like a picture of you and my daughter together, please." Mrs. Higurashi smiled innocently as she gestured toward the fountain that was in front of the gym.

He looked behind her at Kagome and finally nodded slowly. He walked forward and noticed Kagome's bright smile.

He had a feeling of dread as he stood before the marble fountain, clear water spewing behind him and creating an almost calm atmosphere.

Kagome stood beside him, but she stood on the ledge so she was his height.

He turned towards the camera and Kagome's mother took a picture…

Sesshoumaru was about to leave when…

"Wait! Sesshoumaru! I need a picture of you guys sitting down - don't be so impatient!" Kagome's mother teased, winking as she positioned the camera again.

Sesshoumaru smiled softly at her motherly tone - he figured she was just like all mothers, a fanatic for cameras.

She took another photo.

"One more!" She cried.

Sesshoumaru almost sighed.

She was just about to press the button when…

"My - that _is_ a big bird!" Kagome's mother seemed genuinely distracted so he turned his head to look…

A press of lips on his cheeks, the click of the camera, the flash in the corner of his eye and the sound of hurrying feet - and he realized he had been fooled.

He grinned despite himself as his head snapped around and he saw Kagome sprinting for dear life towards the bus.

-

"By a soft breeze, my straw hat

Was blown away and disappeared.

I chased it down a lost road

And found you.

My cold blood

Was warmed up by

A friendly pool of sunlight.

The nostalgic scent of cotton…

In an awkward embrace, you looked into my eyes

"believe…" now entrust to me

Anything and everything

In time, for some reason, sadness

Slides into the cracks of the heart.

But because you are here,

I can see tomorrow. See…

You're standing on a hill

With your long hair swaying.

Carried far by a summer wind

To your hometown,

Your smiling face looks back.

I wish the light falling

Through the swaying tree branches

Would shine there forever.

The soap bubbles come and go one after another

As you softly play with them

And they soar into the sky

In time, for some reason, youth

Turns back the needle of time.

If you will someday disappear,

I will seal you away in that day.

Today, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow…

For decades, even millennia,

I want to kiss your cheek goodnight.

In time, for some reason, pain

Is swept away like the wind.

But because you are here,

My tears will dry. See…"

Kagome bowed as her song finished and turned back to her audience.

"I love that song too, Kagome-chan!" Eri cried, standing up to take Kagome's place.

"It's such a pretty song." Kagome agreed as she exhaled and sat back on the couch.

She looked at Sesshoumaru and he smiled back.


	14. Scene Twelve, Temperatures Changing

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

Kagome, for the first time in a _long _time (it seemed) was finally walking home by herself.

It had only been a week ago that she had pulled her shameless stunt on Inuyasha's older brother. And she was beginning to feel the horribly guilty aftershock.

What if Inuyasha had seen? She hadn't even been acting like his friend of late, prancing around and flirting with Sesshoumaru.

_'As wanna-be grown up as it may sound, I'm thirteen now and I've been Inuyasha's friend for longer… Besides, what does Sesshoumaru think? I better just lie low and build up the friendship with me and Inuyasha. I don't want Sesshoumaru to feel trapped…' _She thought bitterly, twirling an ebony lock between her forefinger and thumb before thoughtlessly tossing it back over her shoulder.

"Thank the heavens that my friends didn't see me kiss Sesshoumaru. I'd never hear the end of it." Kagome spoke out loud, halfway between annoyance and a resigned sigh.

The sky darkened as she suddenly lost all her spunk and her spirit drooped like her damp hair.

She didn't react as she normally did, she only stared at the ground soullessly as the pasty white darkened to deep gray. Her unblinking chocolate colored eyes stared at the ground and after an eternity of sluggishly walking, she finally sneezed.

"Cold rain…" She spoke, raising eyes to the sky, her eyelashes beating tirelessly as the sharp drops of rain struck her sensitive eyes.

Realizing that she had stopped walking, her eyes flickered to her right.

As she had expected, she was staring at the misty, fogged up version of the park. Her house was still half a mile away.

A deep sigh illustrated her thoughts as she trudged over to the deserted swing set, collapsing on one of the soaking seats.

She pushed her feet into the muddy once-sand and released herself, swinging slowly forward into the thick sheet of rain.

"I can't believe it…" She again mused to herself, looking on the brink of tears as she continued to push herself faster, gaining momentum.

"Can't believe what?" Said a mocking voice from before her. Through the fog of rain, she automatically, unconsciously pulled up an image of the refined Sesshoumaru, but as his thick black hair became visible through the vapor, her stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch.

"Who are you?" Slipped between her lips before she could catch herself.

He stalked over to her and plopped down in the swing beside her, kicking off as well.

Any happiness she had achieved throughout the day was dashed as she almost _saw, _as though it was a tangible detail, the meanness in his spirit… Her grandfather said that if she was truly a Shinto priestess, she would be able to see or feel other people's auras. Kagome hardly believed such nonsense, but felt a strange defying spike in her own aura - mind, Kagome insisted - as if she regretted speaking so for now she would never be seen for what she truly was. But Kagome tried to dismiss such a thought because she had no conscious want to be a priestess, anyway.

His nasty green eyes seemed to exemplify his malicious intent, as he looked over sideways at her, an evil grin on his lips. She tried to glare, to fend the animal off.

"Kuniharu is my name." He said simply, tossing another venomous smile at her.

"Eh… That's not what I meant…" She began to slow on her swing, meaning to get out of here, wherever he was.

"What else should I have assumed you meant by… Who are you?" He taunted her, also beginning to slow.

"How old are you, Kuniharu-san?" She asked sharply. Her feet scraping against the ground while she stopped and stooped to retrieve her book bag.

He only smiled grotesquely as he stepped off his swing.

"You're much older than me. I want nothing to do with you." She tried to be harsh and straightforward but cancelled the affect by taking a nervous step backwards.

"But I want to get to know you!" He protested, almost smiling at her weakness.

"I-I'm sorry, I have to go now. Please leave me alone from now on." She bowed slightly and turned swiftly to leave.

"I feel hurt - what did I ever do to you?" He took a tentative step towards her and she, unsure of how to react, sped up.

"Goodbye, I hope you have a nice day…" She shouldered the pack and walked into the clouds of rain, hoping to lose him.

"Are you sure you don't want to stick around?" He asked and she closed her eyes (though he couldn't see) and shook her head furiously, tears brimming her eyes.

"I've had a really bad day… I just want to go home…" She fought to keep her voice from cracking…

He was about to make another pressuring remark when another cold voice cut in.

"I thought she told you to leave her alone, you insufferable idiot!"

Both heads turned to see whom the voice belonged to… Inuyasha.

"You better beat it kid, this is none of your business." The green-eyed guy sniffed and was about to turn back to Kagome when…

The force of a kick sent him flying forward, a look of shock settling on the older boy's face.

Inuyasha's foot returned to the ground and he glared down at the sixteen or seventeen year old beneath him.

"You're pathetic, by the way." Inuyasha concluded, stepping on and over the unconscious 'green-eyes'. He seemed to pause for a second too long as he rested his weight on the teenager's back, before moving off.

"That was hardly civilized, Inuyasha…" Kagome fidgeted, looking first in gratitude to Inuyasha, then in fear but guilt to the unconscious one.

"He harasses you, and still you feel a need to protect him." Inuyasha mocked her, casting a triumphant look to the fallen guy.

"I-I'm sorry… Thanks though." The rain had stopped.

"This part of Japan is so strange. Rain in, rain out, totally unpredictable, and the rain here is thicker and more humid than a big thick carpet dropped over the city." Inuyasha scoffed, shaking his head as he tilted his face up.

"Why are you here, anyway?" Kagome suddenly asked, curious.

"Oh, am I unwelcome? I'm sorry, I should have left you to pale-skin over there." Inuyasha's brashness made Kagome sigh in annoyance.

"In any case, I'm going home now." Kagome retorted and turned on her heel.

"I only came because I was worried you know, you could be more gracious!" She waved back at him but abruptly stopped. She turned on her heel suddenly and shot at him, throwing herself in his arms with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you Inuyasha. I was kind of scared…"

With that she turned bashfully away, uncomfortable and wondering at her mixed feelings, but leaving none-the-less.

She shouldn't have been mean to him just because she had been expecting Sesshoumaru.

She had no chance with Sesshoumaru, and besides, why would he like a little kid like her?

Another drop of rain hit her nose, and she responsively picked up her pace.


	15. Scene Thirteen, Tears Under Rain

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

_The window, Kagome's house, outskirts of Tokyo, Japan, July 3, 2004_

Kagome sighed, looking out at the rain from the kitchen table.

It was Saturday, and the rain wouldn't allow Kagome to spend it happily.

"Come out, sun…" She sighed and dropped her head back into the nest her arms provided.

"Would you like to help me make cookies, Kagome?" Came her mother's comforting voice, and Kagome looked up with a tired smile on her face.

"Okay, that sounds like fun." Kagome nodded and slid off the chair, taking one last heated look at the drops of water slithering down the glass surface of the window.

Following her mother to the kitchen counter, she was about to retrieve the eggs required for the recipe that was laid out on the table when the phone rang.

Kagome jumped at the sound, an hour of silence having turned any resonance into a phantom-like, unfamiliar noise.

She rushed to get the phone, reaction kicking in and relief at finally being active on Saturday putting an extra skip in her step.

"Hello?" Kagome asked.

"Kagome?" Came the gruff voice on the other end.

The rain spattered against the window.

"I-Inuyasha?" She asked, startled to hear his voice outside of school.

"Yeah, hi." He spoke brashly, but there was a nervous quality as well.

"What is it?" Kagome asked uncertainly, picking up on the hidden emotion in his voice and automatically becoming concerned for her friend.

"Can you meet me at the park?" He asked, his voice neutral. She was taken aback.

"Right now? I'm making cookies with my mom." She said, blinking as she realized she was unconsciously making excuses.

"It's fairly important, Kagome." There was a mocking quality in his voice for a second before he seemed to take it back. "Sorry…" He grumbled.

'For your tone?' Kagome wondered, but did not voice her confusion.

"It's raining outside." She protested half heartedly, involuntarily making another excuse.

"Kagome!" He sounded impatient. She had almost hoped he would invite her over to his house to talk… Where Sess---

"I can meet you at the park… I think." She spared a glance towards her mother, who's brow was furrowed, but she gave an uneasy nod, glimpsing at the fogged up window before turning back to the oven and the beaters.

"Can you?" He asked promptly. She nodded to herself, her resolution coming back to haunt her every time she spoke to him.

"Yes… Alright, I'll meet you there in twenty minutes." She cast a flitting look towards the ticking clock before returning her attention to the being on the other end of the phone line.

"Okay. I'll see you there." Inuyasha said gruffly, promptly hanging up the phone.

Kagome hung up the phone with a sigh and turned to her mother who was gathering ingredients for the cookies they were supposed to make together.

"I'll be home right away and help you with the second batch, Mama." Kagome assured her mother while pulling on her windbreaker.

"Shouldn't you wear something heavier than that Kagome? You could catch cold." Kagome's mother sounded worried as she surveyed her daughter.

"I'll be okay. Besides, I'll only be out for a little. I walk through the rain almost every day on the way home from school with only my white school uniform top and my book bag to protect me!" Kagome smiled and her mother smiled back.

"All right. Be safe, Kagome." Mrs. Higurashi told Kagome softly as the young girl opened and closed the door. Then she turned back to getting out the brown sugar.

Kagome dashed down the steps and pulled her jacket up over her head for protection. The rain beat hard against her back and she seemed to be breathing in air as thick as steam - but colder.

Her feet splashed the puddles of water and the liquid yielded to her shoes as she made for the park.

Inuyasha was waiting for her. He stared at her through the rising puffs of white and rain-color from the jumping drops after they hit the ground.

His hair was messier than Sesshoumaru's, she realized as she approached him. His eyes were not as piercing. He wore casual clothes and didn't bother to put on a sweater or a coat for the weather.

She stepped up before him and caught her breath, straightening.

The windbreaker was violet with plum or wine colored sleeves. She wore denim jeans and white shoes. She wore a sleeveless, loose orange blouse beneath the windbreaker, but it was not visible.

He looked her over and stepped closer. He opened his mouth to speak when she violently shook her head and water drops flew everywhere. More gathered.

"Come on Inuyasha, lets go underneath the slide." Kagome said above the spattering rain an he dumbly nodded his head as she grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the huge slide.

When they were safely beneath the bright red slide, Kagome turned back to him with a brilliant smile and once again shook her head, and stifled a sneeze with her hand.

"What is it that was so important, Inuyasha?" She asked absently, wrapping her arms around herself to try and keep herself warm, and to give her hands something to do.

He automatically looked away and was silent. She blinked and a cloud of impatience slowly settled over her face.

"N-Nothing…" He stammered and the impatience was instantly darkened by the beginnings of anger.

"You didn't drag me down here in the rain, pulling me away from the promise of warm cookies just for nothing Inuyasha!" She cried out, a look in her eye like she was about to step forward and shake him - or strangle him.

"Okay!" He said and turned away, visibly biting his lip.

"Jeez Inuyasha. It can't be that hard to say." When he turned away she bean squeezing out her hair. He licked his bottom lip uncomfortably, glancing back at her as she was completely consumed by her wet hair.

"What I wanted to say… was…" He began, clearing his throat decisively but staying turned away from her.

She looked up and blinked. "Why won't you look at me when you talk?" She questioned, seeing his scarlet blush even from her stand point.

"Well, I was wondering… If you wanted to… do something…" He said lamely, a hand coming up to scratch his head in embarrassment.

"What? Like go to the movies or something?" She asked, a bright smile alighting her features as her voice peaked with energy and excitement.

"Yeah, something like that." He still mumbled, with the same nervousness, but now a clear percentage of the voice-emotions were labeled as 'shock'.

"That would be fun! We could ask all our friends to some too! What movies are out now?" She bubbled and he turned to look genuinely surprised at her.

"That's not what I meant Kagome!" He couldn't help but exclaim at her naiveté; he almost forgot what he was asking her.

"Huh? That's what you said a second ago…" She said, before the beginnings of realization dawned on her, the strange light sluggishly expanding over her face, into her eyes.

"Yeah, Kagome. I meant… alone. Like - would you… go out with me? Or something…" He looked away again, his arms folding over his chest protectively in case of rejection.

"I've never gone out with anybody before…" She began unsurely, and the words of Sesshoumaru resonated in her mind. 'The only thing he ever lost was a girlfriend, when he was too young to even know how to love…' He had had a girlfriend before.

"There's always a first time for everything." Inuyasha spoke hopefully, his eyes returning to her face as the rain provided background noise for the couple.

"W-Well…" She began, looking away with stormy brown eyes, uncertain. When she peeked up at him, his face flickered for a moment into Sesshoumaru's smooth, flawless face, and she mentally shook her head.

She had promised to be a better friend for Inuyasha, right? And if it made him happy… What was the harm in seeing a movie with him anyways? It wouldn't be so bad…

"O-Okay…" She said… But a feeling of deep regret settled over her before she masked it with an accepting smile. _'Nothing would ever com from a relationship with Sesshoumaru… how will I ever know now though? I can still be his friend… I'll just see what happens, okay?'_

Inuyasha smiled at her and hugged her. She only drew back for a second before realizing what he was offering and fell into his embrace, sagging with emotional overload.

He let her go and turned to leave, contentedly.

"I'll… Talk to you later Inuyasha." She said weakly, and he waved in response.

She swallowed and burst into a run, trying to burn energy. She neared the shrine steps before she knew what had happened.

She slowed again. Everything seemed to be in slow motion.

"You took longer than I expected, Kagome, but I'm glad you're safe." Her mother said gently, finally turning to look at her daughter's ashen face and she automatically became worried.

"What's wrong Kagome? Are you ill? What was wrong with Inuyasha?" She moved to walk towards Kagome.

"It's all right Mama. I'll just be in my room, okay?" She said dazedly, heading for the stairs. She almost tripped, but didn't. Mrs. Higurashi's eyes clouded with worry and she looked out to the rain before the oven sounded, declaring the cookies finished.

She looked up to where her daughter disappeared and then resolutely began to shovel the cookies off the cookie sheet.

Kagome would tell her what was wrong in due time…

'_Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru can be my good friends… Just because I'm with Inuyasha alone to a movie doesn't mean I like him more… It won't be forever… Just to make Inuyasha happy. I'm happy! Inuyasha is really nice…'_


	16. Scene Fourteen, Denying the Moose Tracks...

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

_After school, outside of school, Tokyo, Japan, July 4, 2004_

Kagome sighed as she stepped into the cool wind of the late afternoon.

The invisible fingers of air played with her dark tresses, lifting her clothing to join its dance.

She hopped down the steps and braced herself against its insistent pressure.

Glancing behind her, she knew Inuyasha would be coming out soon, after he talked with his friends and escaped the mob of hopeful schoolgirls that is.

Of course, now that _she_ was going out with him, there was a fair decrease in their number, but the more insistent ones still tagged along after him, kissing the ground he walked on. If she was just a _friend_ of Inuyasha's, she would have found it easier to laugh at his predicament, and tease him…

She shook her head vigorously, and knowing that with the arrival of Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru would inevitably appear, she turned on her heel and ran.

---------------

_An hour later, at Kagome's house_

The phone rang insistently in the kitchen. Kagome turned from her work and went to pick it up.

"Hello?" Kagome asked into the receiver.

"Hey, Kagome!" Inuyasha greeted her with a smile in his voice.

"Inuyasha." She replied with not as much enthusiasm but with a considerable amount of fake cheer. She had to make him happy.

He seemed content with her tone.

"In the newspaper, I found the movie section and it looks like there's a really good movie - you wanna go to that one?" She imagined a twinkle in his eye when he said that.

She realized that he was referring to their "discussion" at the park regarding seeing a movie.

"O-Okay, if that's what you want." Kagome smiled uneasily, but she was sure that he was pleased with her answer.

"Alright. The movie starts in an hour, and my brother said that he could drive us there. Make sure to get your homework done!" She didn't hear the last part, her mind had frozen and the color had drained from her face when she heard that Sesshoumaru knew about their "date".

"Okay, Kagome?" His voice sounded concerned.

"Alright then - yes, Inuyasha!" Kagome let the words tumble out her mouth before a just as hurried 'goodbye' and sprint to her bedroom.

"Is everything okay Kagome?" Her mother's voice called after her, and Kagome barely managed to nod her head in assurance - not that her mom would probably see it.

"I'm going to the movies with a friend, okay?" Kagome finally said stiffly as she opened her bedroom door.

"… Okay Kagome, have fun…" Her mother replied softly and Kagome disappeared into her room.

---------------

Kagome's tongue moved swiftly over her lip for the millionth time, the soothing moistness not calming her soul.

How would Sesshoumaru look at her?

… He didn't care though, right?

She decidedly selected a casual pair of blue jeans and a red Tee-shirt that was about two sizes larger than her real shirt size and read "Cheery"; underneath the said bubble white letters was a line of blood red cherries.

She swept her hair back into a ponytail-bun (as it was to her friends and her) and collapsed on the bed to finish her studies.

---------------

_Another hour later, outside Kagome's house_

"I'll be back in a couple hours Mama, Sesshoumaru will pick us up when the movie ends and he'll drive me home, okay?" Kagome smiled up at her mother as best she could, though she was beginning to feel sick with all her overwhelming emotions.

"Okay, just be sure to get home before it gets too late. Don't go over to their home or anything afterwards, it's a school night…"

"I know, I'll be back right after it's over!" Kagome reassured her mother with a confidence that was not hers.

Her mother nodded in trust and turned back to scold Souta for turning the TV up too loud.

Kagome turned and dashed down the shrine steps and to the curb.

---------------

_In the car_

Kagome fell into the comfy seat and managed a smile for Inuyasha, who was beaming brighter than the sun.

Probably because of the cold, distant look on Sesshoumaru's face.

Kagome's smile faded and she meekly buckled her seatbelt. Sesshoumaru did not even acknowledge her presence and she almost cringed.

He drive was silent, because Sesshoumaru was decidedly antisocial, and Inuyasha was not one to start up conversation, and Kagome was too crestfallen by Sesshoumaru's dismissive behavior to lighten the mood. How was one to lighten the mood when that ones mood was already darker than night, five miles into an unending tunnel? It would have been much easier if the train had come by now and had pounded her into oblivion.

He pulled carefully to the edge of the sidewalk and Inuyasha opened the care door automatically, holding it open for her.

She was dumfounded; the politeness was not customary of Inuyasha, she could only ever imagine Sesshoumaru doing something so gentlemanly and nice in this modern era.

All the same, she cautiously slid out of the car and sighed as her feet touched the cement.

Deciding to give their friendship one more chance to rebuild, she caught the door before Inuyasha slammed it shut and put on the cheeriest smile she could muster (the only dimming quality was the self-doubt still lingering in her soul), and turned to face Sesshoumaru.

"Thanks so much Sesshoumaru!" She said and dared to crack her eyes open to see his reaction. She was half expecting him to give a stiff nod or something like that, but she was pleasantly surprised when he gave her a small - tiny smile in return and nodded his head slightly in acceptance.

But he could never possible understand her reasoning behind going with Inuyasha; he could never fathom her selflessness.

She grinned at his response and waved as she closed the car door. He pulled off the curb with the silent promise to be back in a couple hours, when the movie ended.

---------------

_The movie_

Kagome stared wonderingly up at the screen, watching the familiar scene play before her eyes.

"Have you seen this before Kagome?" He asked her softly, despite the emptiness of the theatre and their place along the final, top row of seats.

"Yeah…" She choked out absently and he turned questioning eyes to her.

"This is pretty corny." He continued on, a mocking smile curling on his lips.

She nodded, in complete agreement, but painfully, slightly.

"Me and Sesshoumaru watched this at your house." She acknowledged.

"What? Really? When?!" Inuyasha turned to her with curious - almost angry eyes.

"It was when you were sick. We thought that the movie would be more about the machines and action, but it turned out to have a ton of romance. We made fun of it, it was a lot of fun." Kagome said absently, still hypnotized by the projection playing in front of them.

"I didn't know we had this movie. I've never seen it before. Maybe Dad bought it… I can't believe he'd watch something like this!" Inuyasha fell back into the red cushioned seat with a look of permanent shock on his face. "Sorry, Kagome, I didn't know you'd already seen it… I thought one of those old movie theatres would be fun. See what came out in the last generation… Sesshoumaru likes that kind of stuff. He says modern movies are all about skin nowadays."

Kagome nodded in understanding, smiling softly in forgiveness. She tore her eyes from the kissing scene and looked him in the face. She was beginning to relax under their friendly, casual talk.

"Everybody was young once though." Kagome defended in reference to his earliest comment, and maybe she was defending also her mother's once-youth. It seemed like she just wanted him to know that for some reason - like it was important.

---------------

_After the conversation, outside the movie theatre_

"Well, I guess there's no use watching a movie you've already seen before…" Inuyasha sighed as they walked along the sidewalk.

"I'm so sorry--" Kagome began sincerely, but he cut her off.

"It's okay, Kagome. It's too bad you can't get a refund for 'trivial' things like already seeing it without realizing it though…" Inuyasha laughed good naturedly, but it was a gruff, almost harsh and untried laugh. "Besides, like you said, it got really sappy." He grinned and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"It was fun all the same…" She said, but knew it to be a lie compared to the 'fun' she and Sesshoumaru had watching the same movie.

"Sure, Kagome. Thanks for the thought, lying as you are…" Inuyasha tossed his hair and looked forward in to the night.

Kagome did a double take when she realized that Inuyasha had been fairly insightful - and correct, for once!

She blinked and almost stopped walking but mustered an apologetic smile all the same -

"Don't worry about it." He said dismissively and continued on.

Where were they going?

"All the same…" She finally found her voice. "Do you think we should go back and see if we can find a phone to call Sesshoumaru and ask him to pick us up early?"

He looked hurt for a vague moment, but then turned his eyes back to her and replied to her question in a gruff voice.

"Don't you want to find something to do with the lost time?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome looked down and thought about it for a moment; she told her mother that she'd be home after the movie was over… Well, the movie wasn't over yet, was it? She could stay for a little while longer…

"Okay, Inuyasha!" She said with false cheer, not for the first time that evening.

He studied her face for a moment but seemed not to find the answer he was looking for (_Sesshoumaru would have read my emotions straight off,_ she thought) and he turned to his right to reveal an ice cream corner shop that she had not noticed before.

She looked confused for a second, before realization dawned on her.

"I don't have any money for this Inuyasha, I couldn't ask you to -" She began but he once again interrupted her. She inwardly sighed.

"My dad is rich, remember?" He spoke gruffly and without feeling, and she instinctually recoiled from his hurtful words.

'_It's as if he's saying that my family is poor.' _She thought angrily, but knowing that it was his brother that was giving them a ride home, she followed him silently into the shop.

He would have been much kinder if he had said something like "It's okay Kagome, I want to make it up to you for taking you to a movie that you've already seen" - but that was too much to ask of _Inuyasha_, wasn't it?

She tilted her head up, _'Sesshoumaru definitely would have said something like "It's alright; I took you to the wrong movie, I want to make it up to you." Just saying, that is. If we were going out or something…' _Kagome physically shook her head but a vision was unfolding on the black side of her eye, the perfect scene where she was walking dejectedly out of a movie theatre with him after watching a sad, sad movie, and him suddenly turning and grabbing her hand to show her a little corner shop, specializing in…

"What _flavor _do you want Kagome?" He asked impatiently, his cruel eyes staring down at her as he waved his hand in front of her face. She withdrew, once again, from his careless actions. She shook her head and summoned a glare to her eyes.

"It's okay, Inuyasha. I don't want any - I _insist_. I'm NOT hungry." She tossed her hair and retreated to the water fountain, not blessing him another glance.

He stared after her obliviously for a moment before the woman manning the desk told him the total for his ice cream and he nodded and came back to reality.

When Kagome finally reappeared, he was sitting at a small round table with two chairs, but she walked past him.

"Where are you going?" Inuyasha asked, his voice bouncing from gruff to soft as he tried to change it to satisfy her.

"To see if they have a phone I can use. I want to go home." She said tiredly, casting him a glance that illustrated her emotional fatigue and sticking frustration for his insensitivity.

His eyes looked hurt for a second before he tried to stop her again.

"I thought your favorite flavor was moose tracks?" He asked, remembering her babbling on the day he became "un-sick" about the wonderful-ness of his fathers and brothers taste in ice cream.

"No, I don't want it." She said and promptly confronted the lady before the cash register.

"Are you very mad at me?" He asked as they exited the shop a little while later, waiting for his brother; Inuyasha still did not know why Kagome was so annoyed with him.

She sighed, and with the letting of breath her anger seemed to dissipate.

"Maybe we could try this again sometime, Inuyasha. We could go see a new movie." She spoke softly, the tiredness shining in all its blinding alabaster brightness through the sound, though Inuyasha was still ignorant of her state.

He nodded and took this offer as forgiveness, but he dare not take her hand. She did not offer it.

Sesshoumaru's care finally appeared through the blackness and Kagome collapsed in the familiar seats, not looking at either brother.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed, for he could read every emotion on her face and in her eye.


	17. Scene Fifteen, The Traitor, Inuyasha

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

_After school, outside of school, Tokyo, Japan, July 10, 2004_

Inuyasha stepped outside the building, and once more, all he caught of 'his' Kagome was a flitting extension of black fabric.

His eyes narrowed and he sighed, but turned away. She never walked home with him and Sesshoumaru anymore; he wondered why.

They had gotten together privately in the last week or so, but she seemed distant and uninterested, though every time she thought he was looking, she would slap on a bright smile and assure him that she was having a ton of fun.

He always feigned contentedness as well when he saw her like that, always copied her mask to make her think that she was actually cunning or getting away with something. Inuyasha wasn't the best one at reading emotions, so he had no idea what was going on, but he wasn't stupid.

Inuyasha turned to where his elder brother always appeared and sighed once more, with a little more chagrin on his breath than usual at the thought of his sibling.

Flashback

"Stop being stupid, Inuyasha." The straightforward and completely random remark caught Inuyasha off guard but a scowl automatically lit his features as he rose to his brothers silent but inevitable challenge.

"Shut up, what do you know?" Inuyasha spat back, his temper kicking in defensively at Sesshoumaru's first words - he hadn't yet barely a clue of what his brother was talking about.

Sesshoumaru, though, knew that his words were just words and held no meaning - his brother was just growling, not biting. Not even a strong "growl" at that, he was just putting insults together to fend the more collected one off. He hadn't even thought about his words before they fell off his ignorant tongue.

"I know much more than you, Inuyasha. You know nothing; so far in your life you amount to nothing but an arrogant, unaware, uncaring and foolish young child." Sesshoumaru said tonelessly, his slender hands transporting the clean dishes onto the shelf with an utmost carefulness that boasted of his serene calmness, grace and will to keep his temper. Inuyasha glared hatefully at his older brother's teasing perfection. One thing was true enough; he would never amount to his brother.

"Is that how you think of Kagome as well?" Inuyasha shot back, grasping for straws. His glare worsened when Sesshoumaru remained passive and organized mentally, everything in his control while Inuyasha was flailing to regain some amount of altitude. He had always lost his momentum after the first challenge was issued and answered, and his arguments were always weak anyway. All the same, he had an insanely flammable temper and would rise to any verbal sparring match.

"No," Sesshoumaru replied, "but Kagome is more mature than you will be in years. And she puts her mind before her mouth."

"Why are we talking about this?" Inuyasha sputtered for a moment and then readopted his death glare.

"Because you hurt her shamelessly and you know nothing about anything; you're stupid and without any form of experience." Inuyasha was about to disagree with as much fire in his voice as possible, when Sesshoumaru's unnaturally light hazel eyes sluggishly moved to meet his own, boredom shining through but a hidden emotion (that Inuyasha did not catch, obviously) that was concern and a slight spark of anger - maybe even protectiveness. Sesshoumaru responded to his unsaid defensive before Inuyasha even presented it -

"You were six, Inuyasha." He almost sounded tired with the statement, as if he had to remind the little brat that he wasn't married to the long "forgotten" Kikyou a million times a day.

"Mind your own business - you're such a moron!" Inuyasha stormed up to his room before Sesshoumaru could hold his intelligence and shrewd efficiency and overall _perfection_ over his head again. He despised his older brother. He was so _perfect_ and had better 'breeding' and gained the respect of everyone. Inuyasha was jealous as well. At everything that Sesshoumaru had that he didn't. And that Sesshoumaru treated him like dirt half the time, like he was ashamed that he was related to him; he hated how Sesshoumaru thought he was so much better and never made the petty mistakes Inuyasha did, and he hated how enigmatic and depthless he was, compared to how shallow and easy Inuyasha was. His maturity was gag-worthy, and the fact that Inuyasha's father always seemed to _favor_ Sesshoumaru and take his side in every situation with 'sides'. Of course, this was how Inuyasha saw Sesshoumaru; he was too arrogant at the time to even consider wondering why Sesshoumaru seemed to dislike _him_.

End Flashback

Inuyasha shook his head and walked in the opposite direction of Kagome, casting one last wondering and slightly regretful look after her. Why was she unhappy? Why wouldn't she talk to him?

---------------

_'Because he wouldn't _understand_. And besides, he'd lose his temper if I even began to explain my feelings. He's blow me off as soon as the words 'I like Sesshoumaru instead of you' passed my lips… Besides, it would probably completely break him…' _Kagome sniffled in the cool wind that blew cotton and dandelion fluff into her face. She sneezed and looked up to observe the sky. '_I wonder if it will rain later today? Maybe rainy season finally is over…'_ Kagome lowered her eyes once more and continued walking home.

She wasn't as confused _there_…

---------------

Inuyasha glared heatedly at Sesshoumaru when his salute became visible, and haughtily stuck his nose in the air as he passed him, completely ignoring him. Sesshoumaru seemed to ignore in return his rude and evading behavior.

Their walk was silent and Inuyasha disappeared into his room as soon as they got home. Sesshoumaru shook his head and looked back out once more at the gusting green leaves.

He pulled his hair from the hair band and let it dance with the wind for a moment before he closed the door. He hated holding his hair up, but his teachers hated his hair down. It fell before his face whenever he slightly bowed his head and they had the audacity to believe that he was daydreaming or sleeping while his hair protected him. Maybe they were even stupid enough to believe that his upheld hair was the reason he got flawless grades: easy A's…

It felt more natural for it to be caressing his body though, like he had worn it that way since… forever… for a thousand years, since a time he couldn't remember, in every previous life he lived before reincarnation and the erasing of memories, it seemed…

He shook his head and turned back towards the inside of the house. He shouldn't allow his mind to wander like that; he'll turn into the wallowing puddle of woeful goop that Inuyasha had turned into ever since he realized his social skills were equal to those of a stuck up, uncaring idiot, and that he was only losing points with Kagome because of it… It was much simpler just having the social skills of a rock, then you would never know the difference between a sturdy kicking shoe and a sweet voice…

Sesshoumaru began walking up the stairs and opened the door to his room, backpack in hand. He had a test to study for…

---------------

As soon as the soft but sure and warning 'click' of Sesshoumaru's door sounded, Inuyasha snuck out again.

He was tired of sitting right under Sesshoumaru's watchful glare, and he was ready to have some fun. His brother was so boring…

He made as little noise as he could as he trudged back down the stairs and approached the door, his homework and his 'issues' forgotten at the moment as his only goal and thought was to get out…

---------------

The wind was cool but there was no rain, and there were no gray clouds.

Inuyasha dashed down the street and into the world, his full intention walking the two bus stops to Kagome's house and surprising her to show her how much he cared…

Buildings rose about his central spot in Tokyo, but he knew it would thin out before he reached the wooden shrine steps.

His shoes touched the pavement and his messy hair caught the wind and billowed about his figure - though not as much as Sesshoumaru's did, and Inuyasha had no doubt that his hair, when he was Sesshoumaru's age, probably was not going to twirl as aimlessly 'beautiful' as Sesshoumaru's did, quote the girls, either.

He absently kicked a rock, watching the sky glow a darker shade of blue with each passing moment as sunset approached within the next hour…

He felt around in his pockets and groaned - he would have to walk home in the dark; he forgot to bring money or anything else useful for that matter.

His brothers mocking words rung out in his head as Inuyasha glared at the expanding clouds: "You never think before you act… You're so hasty and live by the moment… Kagome puts her mind before her mouth…" Inuyasha never thought things through…

Inuyasha was about to sigh and retreat when he realized how far he was anyway… The park. How did he always end up at the park?

He stood undecided in the sand, his clothing gusting about him with the picking up of the wind.

Then he heard a voice. A soft voice - so familiar… Kagome?

"Inuyasha…" No, it definitely wasn't Kagome… But who?

"It's me, don't you remember Inuyasha? It's only been… seven years?" Her voice finally clicked… Inuyasha spun…

"Kikyou…"

"You forgot about me?"

"No - it's been over half my lifetime…"

"You didn't forget…"

"No." Inuyasha shook his head and summoned a smile.

Kikyou walked up to him, her sharp features and brilliant eyes captivating him… Her long black tresses lifted behind her, and he watched in awe as his childhood friend approached him…

---------------

"Do you still love me Inuyasha? You said you loved me once…" Kikyou murmured, leaning against him as best she could in the swing, while the sand gave way beneath her straining feet.

"Yes." He answered automatically, but something struck him…

Flashback

"You don't even know what love is!" Sesshoumaru snarled, glaring at Inuyasha through violently darkened eyes. It was the first and last time for a very, very long time that Inuyasha would see Sesshoumaru so enraged. He had been expecting merely a cold glare for his uncaring words but Sesshoumaru had reacted like baking soda with vinegar.

--- 10 minutes earlier ---

"Would you like to go see your mothers grave, Inuyasha? You could take a bit of time off school, and I'm headed there for a business trip anyway…" Their father smiled down at the youngster, only around seven years old, with an inviting smile.

"No, I don't want to." Inuyasha said distractedly, futzing with the phone.

Inuyasha's father blinked and recoiled slightly.

"Are you sure Inuyasha? You might not have this opportunity again for a long time…" He looked concerned now as Inuyasha finally thought to press the "on" button.

"No." He said stubbornly, pushing in numerals read off a neat piece of folded notebook paper. "I don't want to." He insisted, as if his brother had asked if he wanted to go to go to a movie instead of an amusement park for his birthday.

"Okay." Inutaisho said, turning away from his son as Sesshoumaru watched from the doorway.

------

"You would forsake the chance to look upon your dead mother's grave if only to sit on a kiddy swing with your sick little girlfriend? You would take pathetic puppy love over a purer love and a longer lasting love that was given from your dead, foolish mother?!" He roared and Inuyasha recoiled… Luckily, that was when Inutaisho came in and broke them up, but who knew if he had been standing outside the door, waiting for Sesshoumaru to say the words that he had wanted to say, in the proper tone.

End Flashback

"Yes, of course I love you…" Inuyasha said. The boy cringed as he remembered another clip of his brother's venomous hiss - "You don't even know the meaning of such a word, you pathetic little idiot… Stupid, idiotic little brat…"

Kikyou smiled shyly up at him, her muddy brown eyes smiling.

"I love you too Inuyasha. I missed you. Will you go out with me now?" Kikyou asked, a light blush tainting her cheeks.

Inuyasha was about to give the instinctual response - "I'm already going out with someone," when he finally, for once in his life, put his mind before his mouth…

_"Of course Kikyou - I've missed you too…"_


	18. Scene Sixteen, Talking With Sesshoumaru

**Innocent Kisses In The Rain**

_Nearly end of school, School, Tokyo, Japan, July 11, 2004_

Kagome looked over, across the classroom at Inuyasha.

His eyes flickered to hers and he swung them away. She almost thought that he looked away with a sick guilt - but she wouldn't assume.

The teacher drawled on for a moment and finally seemed to catch himself and finish up his lesson by the time the bell rung.

Kagome sighed and did not rise with the majority of the classroom. She would wait for Inuyasha today. She opened her eyes again and looked to where he usually sat, and blinked, skimming over her classmates and starting as she realized that Inuyasha, for once, was the one rushing from the classroom… What was he avoiding her for?

Kagome quickly gathered her things and took off after him, a look of determination on her face. She would not let him go as easily as he had let her.

She dashed after his brisk walk, and soon found herself caching his hand. He swung haunted eyes to her own and the dark tea colored eyes of Kagome softened to meet his own pale amber.

"What's wrong Inuyasha?" She asked, letting the rest of the students swarm around them as she stared at him in wonder and curiosity. What _was_ wrong with him?

"Nothing's wrong! What are you talking about? You're the one who's been avoiding me this whole time!" Inuyasha automatically took the defensive.

Kagome gasped and recoiled at his desperate, hasty, and _mean_ tone, but tightened her hold on his hand when he tried to flee.

"Jeez Inuyasha, I wasn't threatening or accusing you of anything…" She said softly and his tossing head finally stilled to look down at her questioningly.

'_I thought she knew about me and… Kikyou…' _He thought with a mental sigh of relief and kick in the head for Kagome's concerned look.

"It's nothing…" He said sheepishly, gruffly, looking away.

She blinked and looked away - _'I knew he'd never trust me with his true thoughts.'_ Kagome thought and blinked away tears.

His head spun and his eyes clouded as if he was under the influence of drugs when he saw the glossy sheen on her eyes when she looked away and blinked furiously - there was only one answer to those symptoms.

Inuyasha tried to relax and turn to Kagome, capturing her in an embrace.

"I'm sorry Kagome." He said, swallowing nervousness and guilt at the sight of her tears.

She tensed for a moment and then relaxed in his hold, sighing softly. The school was empty now.

"It's okay Inuyasha. I was… worried, is all." She said, fighting to keep her voice steady.

"Thanks." He was about to add 'Nobody's ever really been worried that much for me' when he caught himself and shook his head. Only weaklings depended on others for emotional support. He glared to the side for a moment before withdrawing from their 'hug'.

"I've got to go home now, Kagome." He said, once again a brusque edge to his voice, a barrier he had adopted long ago for his own 'protection'. His barrier would one day be his demise.

She jumped and tilted her head to look up at him, her wide eyes an exact replica, texture and color, of melted chocolate.

"Can I go with you, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked softly, still holding tightly to his arms. This was the friendliest moment between the two of them since - for a while.

Inuyasha once again got a sick feeling in his stomach. He had told Kikyou to call him; he had promised to do something with her today! Kagome…

"Eh - Kagome… Today I can't… Maybe… Tomorrow?" Inuyasha stumbled over his words, flustered in his unplanned lie.

She looked up with pleading eyes, then they clouded over for a moment, then came back brightly, as comforting as hot cocoa on a cold winters morning. He backed up slightly.

"Couldn't I just go to your house to talk to Sesshoumaru? I won't bother you, and you can do whatever you want." Kagome smiled up at him in brilliance, and he found himself unable to resist.

Then her words struck him and he suppressed an inhuman growl at the notion of her being anywhere near Sesshoumaru. Then he became even more confused when he realize his animalistic 'instinct' and was puzzled by his own protectiveness for a girl he was cheating on.

His eyes flickered with raw emotion as he stared down at her for a moment, then turned briskly away. Kagome blinked once more, startled, at his uncaring dismissal.

She then glared and ran to catch up with him.

"So, can I go with you? Or are you going to abandon me and pretend I never asked?" Kagome asked testily.

Inuyasha ground his teeth for an instant and then sighed. Kagome probably wouldn't listen to him anyways. That girl was _stubborn._

He could always compare them… Yesterday, he looked at Kikyou and saw how physically alike her and Kagome were. Their black hair and soft brown eyes - though Kikyou's, for some reason, had turned cold. They both had a fair complexion - though Kikyou was much paler. They both had identical almond shaped eyes and, though, as he thought earlier, Kagome would sooner be believed to be of Asian heritage than Kikyou, they were both about the same height (Kagome might be a bit shorter), and both had the same nimble fingers and sweet voices and enchanting… charm…

But he had noticed something else, beyond their outer appearance (for once?) Kikyou always seemed to be speaking someone else's words, or long and complicated words, or polite and formal words, like she was speaking with a set personality and tone, rather than her own. Kagome was always bubbly and temperamental and sometimes completely random; some words were completely intelligent and some totally un-thought-out. She could incorporate, easily, any emotion into her voice and could change the pitch with her excitement, and always seemed passionate and original about what she said. She seemed more carefree and daring in her words than Kikyou, who must have felt like she was tiptoeing across thin ice or in danger of ruining her reputation - or lie she was always on some sort of mission, never incautious.

Kikyou also seemed to have a tamed and delicate beauty, always seemed to be a "lady", and always seemed to care about what the world thought - or so Inuyasha believed, by the way she kept her head up and posture perfect. Was she training to be a queen or something? Kagome seemed to have a more wild and whimsical appearance. He had no doubt that if she stepped out of a temple, she would readily run off to play with paint guns, or if she got bored with her hair, she'd dye it pink on the spur of the moment. She also seemed… _Affected_ by the wind. Kikyou was always polite and refined and the wind never seemed to do more than slightly lift the fabric she wore and her hair, but Kagome would seem to stand in the wind and get completely lifted by it. Her hair would become unruly and fluttering and her eyes dainty and carefree, and her entire aura resonating fun loving, sweetness.

Also, he couldn't help but notice that a part of Kikyou - the part he was sure he used to like, was dead… But he still liked her! Right?

Inuyasha shook his head and watched Kagome's hair play with the wind, then shook his head as he remembered his brother.

'_Who cares if she wants to talk to him? If he tries to get close to her, I'll rip his throat out…'_

"You can come if you'd like, but I've got to go out." Inuyasha said decidedly, feeling only one more jealous pulse in his abdomen before succumbing to her wishes.

"That's okay! I just want to talk with Sesshoumaru!" She replied cheerfully, previous irritation gone from her face as she bounced along beside him. He found himself containing another uncharacteristic growl at the declaration. She should only want to talk with _him_!

He silenced himself and continued walking, pointedly ignoring her comment. She meekly looked to the side at him, but kept her own quiet.

Finally they arrived at Inuyasha's house, and she followed his to the now-familiar dining room table.

"So, Inuyasha, why weren't we walking with Sesshoumaru today?" Kagome asked curiously, listening for footsteps. Perhaps he was sick or stayed home for something…

"Sesshoumaru and I don't walk home together anymore." Inuyasha sniffed, and that was the only explanation he gave her.

"The brat has deemed it too liberating an experience to survive through." Sesshoumaru walked into the room with a flickering glare of distaste towards his younger sibling.

"Liberating?" Inuyasha snorted, but his eyes could have been glowing red at Sesshoumaru's response.

"Do you know the meaning of such a word?" Sesshoumaru smirked at Inuyasha's expense and moved past him to stand before Kagome.

"Nothing you could _ever_ say would _ever_ be 'liberating' in _any_ way - you're such an idiot." Inuyasha growled and moved towards the kitchen, casting a questioning glance at Kagome but she shook her head gently.

"Sesshoumaru! I'm glad you're well! I wanted to talk to you." She smiled unsurely and bowed slightly.

He nodded in return, then turned back to Inuyasha as the phone rung. Inuyasha dove for it but Sesshoumaru retrieved the cordless white phone before Inuyasha could make it. Inuyasha stopped short and looked in unconcealed terror at his brother. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed and he shot Inuyasha an unforgiving glare before passing the phone to him.

Kagome tilted her head as a feminine voice trickled through the receiver but did not question his loyalties.

Sesshoumaru beckoned Kagome to follow him and left the room as Inuyasha tried to mumble his conversation into the phone.

Kagome's innocent eyes flickered to his face a moment before she also disappeared into the hallway and up the stairs.

Sesshoumaru deftly opened his door and stepped aside so Kagome could enter first. Kagome blushed, as always, at his gentlemanly manner.

The room was simple but beautiful. The carpeting was sage beneath the similarly colored tatami mats, and the walls were painted white. Nothing adorned the plain walls except for a couple of choice wall scrolls depicting scenes from a far past place, and the events that happened under a different ruler.

His bed was thrown with a burgundy comforter and beneath it, vanilla sheets. Beside it was a cheery wood nightstand, with a single, leather bound red book on it. Parallel to his bed, on the other side of the room, was a fairly large desk, upon it a collection of various books, a closed laptop, and two neatly stacked spiral notebooks.

On one of the remaining walls was another tall bookcase with many books of all colors and sizes, and beside it, a closed closet.

A window was between the head of the bed and the desk, giving him a fair view of the city and then of the mountains beyond.

Kagome smiled. It seemed exactly like Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru tended to give you the impression of an intelligent, neat person, and one who, since he never said more than necessary, was perfectly true to that in everything else he 'did'. Meaning, he would not boast his wealth and would not decorate his room with petty, passing interests for the sake of having something.

Kagome also smiled to realize that he had a window in his room. She always thought he seemed the type to fit into a setting of trees and grass rather than tall buildings - and the wind played so nicely with his hair.

Also, strong, subtle colors. Burgundy and sage - and white walls.

"Have you ever thought of painting your room, Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked thoughtfully, reaching out to touch the white wall beside her.

"I have." Sesshoumaru nodded, but there was a 'but' in his eye.

"Why haven't you?" She pressed, an excited smile touching her lips at his answer.

"Many reasons." He gestured for her to sit on his bed and she walked over to do so.

"What did you want to talk about?" He asked softly, holding her eyes forcefully as he stared at her.

"Well… I guess you already know that me and Inuyasha are… 'together.'" Kagome sighed and broke away from his eyes. She couldn't stand to see his eyes narrow in disapproval like they would.

"Yes, I am aware of this." He all but growled, and she almost flinched… "Forgive me Kagome. Please go on." He repented with a lost sigh.

Her eyes flickered back to his tired ones and she took a breath. "Well…" She looked cautiously back at the closed door before Sesshoumaru spoke - "Inuyasha is doubtlessly occupied. Do not worry."

She got comfortable on the bed at his remark, crossing her legs and folding her hands in her lap.

"I don't really… Like him that way." Kagome choked out, looking up to see if he had the eyes of a man who would tell. He was serious and did not look starved for gossip. She realized that she really wasn't expecting that…

"Inuyasha would not be pleased." Sesshoumaru nodded an inch, still holding her eyes.

"Please don't tell him! It would… Hurt him…" Kagome looked once again to the side, absently noticing her fingers stroking the rich wine of his blankets. She hurriedly stopped.

"I will not tell him, but be advised… The longer that you wait, the more it would hurt you." His eyes flickered with conflict as he watched her downfallen face.

"I know… But… All the same…" Kagome seemed to whimper - and then regained her composure.

"Thanks Sesshoumaru… I'm sorry if I've… disappointed you in any way…" Kagome smiled a falsely bright smile, and he narrowed his eyes and gave a falsely accepting nod. Masks matching masks, and she would not get past this fact.

She hurriedly left his room, almost stumbling down the stairs in her haste.

'I shouldn't burden Sesshoumaru like this. I really don't like Inuyasha… But I can't honestly say that I love Sesshoumaru… Besides, what would he like with a little kid like me anyways? And why did he say that it would hurt me? It hasn't been that long since I got here… I was imagining a more dramatic episode… Oh well… Sesshoumaru shouldn't have to deal with my problems.'

Sesshoumaru shouldn't have to deal with my problems.


	19. Memories Part III, Sesshoumaru

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

_After school, outside of school, Tokyo, Japan, July 12, 2004_

Kagome sighed as she hopped down the steps, clutching onto her book bag despairingly.

She figured it was no longer a safe decision to run away from Inuyasha at every chance she got.

If she was truly dedicated to making him happy, she'd try to _be_ there to make him happy.

She soon heard his approaching footsteps, and couldn't help but sigh again. The thought of 'going out' with Inuyasha was no longer terrifying and miserable, but instead almost… annoying, strange, and not-so-official anymore. She wasn't sure how to feel about that.

Was she beginning to think of Inuyasha as a 'friend' again? Would he want her to think of him as a 'boyfriend'? Should she tell him?

Inuyasha was acting strangely as of late too…

… They had math homework tonight.

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" Kagome cried tearfully, remembering with perfect accuracy the magnitude of her homework that night. She was no good at math…

"Whoa!" Inuyasha skidded to a halt and hopped back a couple of steps at the pitch of her voice. His eyes became questioning and worried when she collapsed in a crumpled, sobbing heap on her knees before him.

He rushed to her side.

"Kagome? Gods, what's wrong?" Inuyasha demanded, trying to drag her up, but she was uncooperative and would not stand. He finally settled with kneeling beside her to try to see what was wrong…

"We have like… a bazillion pages of math homework tonight!" Kagome cried, suddenly lunging for Inuyasha's neck as if to strangle him for his ignorance.

Now he remembered… Kagome math = death. Why had he been so stupid as to get so close to her at this time?

They really needed to 'yellow-tape' her when she got like this…

"Eh - Kagome! Kagome!" He tried to get her attention as he was comically shaken by the neck, silver hair splayed everywhere as he gasped for breath.

She finally seemed to come to her senses and released his neck, upon which movement Inuyasha promptly scooted several feet away from her.

She finally looked up at him and cleared her throat.

"Sorry, Inuyasha… I didn't mean to do that." She said sheepishly, bowing her head and sniffling.

He nodded cautiously and took an assuring step back towards her.

"Umm… I'm not as good as Sesshoumaru at math… but if you want, I can help you?" Inuyasha asked uncertainly, vaguely remembering a bright, thick, red "C" on his last math test.

Then his eyes narrowed at the prospect of Kagome going to _Sesshoumaru_ for help… He had told Kikyou he was busy today anyway, for the sole purpose of keeping Kagome away from Sesshoumaru.

She looked up and stood, dutifully brushing off her crumpled skirt.

"Alright, Inuyasha, that would be nice!" She smiled a smile that was half genuine, and he seethed at the thought that maybe she would rather go to Sesshoumaru… But Kagome wasn't like that…

She only liked Sesshoumaru as a would-be friend. But it would never get that way, Inuyasha would make sure of that.

---------------

Kagome and Inuyasha walked the same way Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru always had to their house, only Sesshoumaru was not there.

Inuyasha glared at the sidewalk when Kagome mentioned this.

"Sesshoumaru's school is farther up. When he doesn't have to turn around and walk to meet up with me, he can get a good ten minutes worth ahead of me when I walk home. Dad was a bit uncomfortable about the arrangement, but we both made it clear that the others company would be absolutely unbearable." Inuyasha said angrily.

"I don't see why you hate your brother so much…" Kagome mused, but it was not a question. She did not ask about family. It would be as if somebody asked about her father… Though he wasn't dead.

Which was worse? A friend asking a friend about a dead family member, or a friend asking a friend about a sibling that the friend would like to have dead? Preferably murdered by their own hands…

Kagome shrugged mentally and kept walking.

Inuyasha did not willingly answer her question.

---------------

_Kyo Tsukino married a woman named Sakura and had a son named Naruto (Naru) Tsukino. When Naru was twenty-two, Kyo died at the age of fifty-two in a plane accident. Naru decided to try and get in contact with all of his late father's associates to break the news and settle a few issues, though he was many years younger than most of them. He came upon his father's best friend, who was also an ally, who was fifty-five. He had a daughter named Ai. Naru fell in love with Ai and they got married at twenty-three and twenty. They had a single child named Sesshoumaru before Ai died of cancer when Sesshoumaru was three. Sesshoumaru was affected more than most three year olds, for he would wander the house asking for his mother and cry himself to sleep at night, as well as have lively conversations with inanimate objects as if he was talking to his mother. He swore he saw ghosts and became obsessed with the absence of his mother. He seemed to know, though, that his mother would not come back, so at the age of four, he finally settled down after many concerned therapeutic sessions that left Naru both stressed out and worried. Three months after Ai's death though, Naru began dating another woman named Megumi, and they got married only seven months after Ai's death._

_Megumi was a waitress and a would-be singer, had she any noticeable talent. She could play the piano well, and had been playing for two years. She was twenty-four while Naru was twenty-seven. She had no interest in politics, business, and had not finished college. She scarcely read the newspaper. She was a typical beauty but did not have any other real gifts. Later in his life, Sesshoumaru would assume that his mother's memory was abandoned for a false, horrible, half-witted and untalented, yet beautiful whore._

_Sesshoumaru grew unexplainably hostile towards the new woman in his life, and would lash out at her and became very temperamental and withdrawn. He soon learned to school his face into a numb, emotionless expression, unconditionally, and did not let anybody get close to him. He showed hatred towards his family, especially when Inuyasha was born when Sesshoumaru was four. Naru considered putting Sesshoumaru back into therapy, because he was concerned that a four year old could feel such extreme emotions, but finally decided against it - supposedly under the influence of Megumi, who was either very protective of where his money went, did not care for Sesshoumaru's mental health, or was just a kind, thoughtful, understanding woman who thought Sesshoumaru 'just needed time'._

_When Inuyasha was born, Megumi changed drastically. She acquired a powerful sense of duty and protectiveness, shielding little Inuyasha from the preppy school boys who teased him with 'half breed' (regarding his mother's middle class, uneducated and foundationless lifestyle married to his wealthy, educated, successful father). She also rose to hide Inuyasha from his own elder half brothers glares by locking him in his room with her and whispering accusing words to the older sibling. She went to sleeping in Inuyasha's bedroom and holding him as if Sesshoumaru would murder him any night, and she no longer pretended to like or tolerate Sesshoumaru. She would be cruel to him for a moment, and then smile at Inuyasha and openly tell the little one how terrible Sesshoumaru was for 'stealing her jewelry while she was sleeping' or 'sneaking out to play at the park at night', and other lies and nonsense. She might have even gone partially insane, for perhaps Inuyasha was the only thing she would ever be proud of._

_When Inuyasha was five, Sesshoumaru was nine, and Naru was thirty-three, Megumi died in a car accident, and she had apparently been drunk, just kicked out of a bar for overturning a table and trying to beat senseless a man who had made a comment about Inuyasha's worthlessness when it came to inheriting Naru's twin companies. Sesshoumaru would take charge of those companies in due time, and he had laughed drunkenly saying that if Inuyasha thought he could change that, he would have to murder someone._

_They had been having a conversation after she had begun bragging about Inuyasha, and it ended with her in an overturned car, four blocks from her house. Naru swore that it was the first time she had ever drank since their wedding, when they had wine, but the man she had been talking too, who was wearing a black eye, interrupted gruffly saying that Megumi and him had been getting together at the bar for almost two months. Naru never even considered that she had been having any form of an affair; he forgot it as he mourned her death._

_Sesshoumaru seethed when Naru spent a year in seclusion, coming out with dark circles under his eyes and sometimes tear streaks. He had never done this for _his_ mother, who was of infinite more worth! But Naru retreated back into his shell whenever Sesshoumaru made such an angry remark. Finally, everything seemed to fall back into place and Naru did not remarry. Six years later, Naru was back to earning money and wearing a smile - false or no, Inuyasha had developed a gruff voice and face - for his own protection, and also learned no discipline what with, first, his insane mother, and second, his mourning father, and then having to put up with infuriating preps and soon he grew moody and angry and gruff and hasty. He was always a child, never growing forward._

_A year after Inuyasha's mother died and Naru was finally somewhat done mourning, he offered to take Inuyasha to see his mother's grave, which was located on another island of Japan, near where she grew up. Inuyasha refused. Another year later Naru realized the trouble's Inuyasha was having in school and he transferred both brothers to another private school. Inuyasha was 'seeing' a girl by Kikyou by this time, who he had met a year before, after his mom died. She had defended him against the preps. Her family was wealthy and had connections with all the right people. When Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru transferred to another school, she followed. It was short lived, however, when her family had to move up to Sapporo to settle some family business after the death of a key player in their family._

_Five years later, Naru deemed it beneficial to move to Tokyo for business purposes, and Inuyasha followed, without knowing what happened to Kikyou. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha transferred into a school where they finally met Kagome Higurashi, and then Kikyou returned…_

---------------

"I hate math." Kagome said for the millionth time, doodling on her scrap paper.

"No, see - that's not how you do it Kagome!" Inuyasha exclaimed, exasperated. Kagome was even worse at math than him!

"I don't see why math is so important…" She sighed, dragging her pencil aimlessly across the paper, her head propped up on her hand and her eyes half lidded in boredom.

"Because people get rich when they know math." Inuyasha grumbled, slightly frustrated by now.

"Not necessarily." Kagome mused. "Doctors are paid a lot, and scientists…"

"Science goes hand in hand with math. You can't be a businessman or a salesman or a shop owner or a… stock person - or anything, without knowing math." Inuyasha tried to explain in the words of his third grade math teacher. He failed horribly, but still got his point across.

"I just won't be a salesman - woman, or a… stock person… or whatever." Kagome decided, shifting on her hand.

Inuyasha sighed heavily.

---------------

"Thanks for your help Inuyasha! I can walk home, don't worry!" Kagome cried cheerfully, waving wildly at him over her shoulder.

He said goodbye and waved once before turning back at the sound of the phone. Kagome hurried off as he shut the door.

"Hello?" Inuyasha asked easily after yanking the ringing phone off its cradle before Sesshoumaru got to it first.

"Inuyasha?" A soft feminine voice asked.

"Yeah, this is me." Inuyasha said, leaning back against the wall. He glared at the looming Sesshoumaru even as Sesshoumaru increased his own glare ten fold.

'_Another deceiving idiot who bloated up his head and held him back from any form of discipline.'_ Sesshoumaru stared daggers at the phone, almost as if the dripping venom in his eyes would shatter the phone itself.

The phone didn't shatter.

"Sure we can get together tomorrow -" Inuyasha choked on the words that he was about to say next - 'Kagome has a swimming lesson.'

"Alright… Okay - bye." Inuyasha hung up the phone.

"Deceiving -" Sesshoumaru began…

"Cut it out! Just leave me alone, Sesshoumaru." Inuyasha glared at him before storming off. "Is it too much to ask for you to mind your own business for once?!"

Sesshoumaru continued to silently glare until Inuyasha disappeared up the stairs and slammed his bedroom door with vigor.


	20. Scene Seventeen, Kikyou's Spite

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

_After School, running away from school, Tokyo, Japan, July 13, 2004_

"Bye-bye Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, running as fast as she could away from the school to get to her swimming lesson on time.

"Bye Kik - Kagome!" Inuyasha called back, blanching at his half mistake.

She looked back curiously but continued running until he was nothing but a spot in the distance.

"I can't believe what time it is. I'm gonna have to jump in the pool with my clothes on to be on time!" Kagome groaned, and picked up her pace.

---------------

Kagome lowered herself into the pool with a sigh, under the glare of her swimming instructor, and went to join her fellow swimmer - Eri.

"Well, now that we're all here…" The woman said, and Kagome's eyes glittered with curiosity. Usually her swimming instructor's glares were playful, and her tone… light. She usually didn't rub it in like this.

"You're both to do six laps of the front crawl." She sniffed carelessly and slid up to sit on the wall.

"What?!" They both exclaimed… It was a _long_ pool!

"Be careful before I lose my patience and make you do eight." She said threateningly.

They both started swimming furiously, stopping at the other side of the pool for a short conversation…

"What's with her? She's usually not like this…" Kagome gasped, clinging to the wall and looking back cautiously.

"I heard she's in heartbreak mode. Her boyfriend was cheating on her after seven months!" Eri said in either amusement, exhaustion, or disbelief.

"Seven months?!" Kagome exclaimed, casting a sympathetic look back at the woman.

"Yeah - it must have been terrible. Now she's taking it out on everybody." Eri said and they both took off again.

---------------

"At least we're getting our full money's worth for these classes though." Eri commented in the shower, steaming water beating down on her back.

From the neighboring shower, Kagome nodded.

"Sure thing. We did _everything _today - no doubt about it!" Kagome said. "We've never gotten this much done in one day, ever…"

"She almost drowned us with the butterfly… Whatever happened to woman's intuition telling her when not to go to torturous, back breaking swimming lessons?" Eri giggled.

"Don't ask me. Whatever this 'intuition' thing is, its life goal must be to spend my whole life evading me." Kagome stuck her tongue out at the wall.

They both laughed for a while as they both took advantage of the gyms showers…

---------------

Kagome toweled off her dripping hair and looked with curious, bark colored eyes at the girl next to her locker.

She stared at her with harsh muddy eyes, as if she was scrutinizing her… for some reason. They looked terribly alike.

Kagome walked up to her locker an tightened her hand around the knot that held the towel around her body.

The hairs on her neck rose at the girl's mean stare. Kagome retrieved her clothes and looked another glance at the girl. She blinked threateningly and Kagome swiftly moved for the bathrooms to change instead.

Eri was still in the shower.

Kagome pulled on the peasant-top-blue-blouse mix and blue jeans. The top was a thin fabric, but not see-through. It had slightly puffed short sleeves, barely going over her shoulder, and a vanilla tie in the front. It had a wide, circular neckline and was accented with a wheat color. Her jeans were belled at the bottom. She wore a necklace, essentially a black cord with twin rainbow 'beads' and a dolphin charm between them.

Kagome yanked on her sneakers and walked back to retrieve her gym bag, knowing that there would only be a few feet between her and the black-haired girl if she was still there.

Kagome waked like a soldier back to the locker and saw that the girl indeed was still there. Kagome fastened her watch with the golden face around her wrist before slinging her bag over her shoulder and turning to leave.

"Wait." The girls cold voice broke the silence. Eri had obviously already left. Kagome had been stalling in the bathroom - hoping that the spooky girl would leave. Kagome turned slowly on her heel to face the said girl nervously.

"Yes? Who are you?" Kagome asked, meeting the girls icy eyes with her own.

"My name is Kikyou… I know Inuyasha." Kikyou sounded bored. Kagome nodded slowly and then something struck her mind…

"Oh! We look so much alike - Inuyasha almost called me by your name today!" Kagome smiled brightly in revelation as she tilted her head friendlily.

"Did he?" Kikyou's voice dropped a few degrees.

Kagome jumped at her tone and opened her troubled eyes once more to try to distinguish why the opposing girl was so… angry.

"How do you know Inuyasha?" Kikyou suddenly asked, her eyes flickering for an instant as she looked up at Kagome from her place on the bench.

"Eh -" Kagome recoiled at the sudden question but recovered quickly, approaching a step closer to the girl.

"Me and Inuyasha are good friends. We're kind of… 'dating', as well." Kagome smiled kindly but Kikyou seemed to seethe at her words.

"I don't suppose you know much about Inuyasha." Kikyou hissed, and Kagome visibly jumped. She went to the defensive when she felt the almost evilly mean 'aura' bubbling around Kikyou's pretty figure.

"I… know everything that he wants me to know…" Kagome seemed uncertain…

"I knew Inuyasha when he was six, when he _needed_ someone. Then I had to move away. I know him again now, and you need to _go away._" Kikyou said straight-forwardly.

"Eh - um… Well, I can't 'go away' unless Inuyasha wants me to… And even if I did 'go away'… I live here… And Inuyasha and I will still be friends." Kagome tried to narrow her eyes to match Kikyou's, but Kikyou's became mere slits with hers.

"You're under the impression that Inuyasha likes you more than a friend. He doesn't. He remembers _me_ when he looks at you, _girl_." Kikyou said and stood.

Kagome stepped back as Kikyou rose, and unconsciously fell into an inexperienced defensive pose.

Then her words struck and Kagome blinked.

_'I don't like being used.'_ She thought suddenly, but her words were filled with sorrow, not anger. _'… Inuyasha… wouldn't do that…'_

Kagome had thought that she herself was making Inuyasha happy… by being _her_… Not by being the substitute for a girl he used to know… A girl could take offense at that…

"Think about that. Inuyasha doesn't care _at all_ for you. He's only _ever_ liked _me_. He will never like _anyone_ else. He cannot even think of you as a friend. He thinks of me as a friend, and you are just like me." Kikyou said hatefully, before walking past Kagome and out the door.

Kagome blinked. She wasn't sure whether to feel hurt or… what.

Now, she decided, it was up to Inuyasha to figure out who he wanted to make him happy. She would not be the look alike that did nice things but always wore a shadow around him that he liked her for.

She had not had the time to like Inuyasha more than a merciful thirteen-year-old could, because… she always compared him to someone else, didn't she?

If Inuyasha was happier with the 'real thing', they could be friends… And he could be happy. That was all she ever wanted, for her friends to be happy.

How close to Kikyou was Sesshoumaru?


	21. Scene Eighteen, Resolving Relationships

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

_After School, outside of school, Tokyo, Japan, July 15, 2004_

Kagome stared at the ground, her hand still firmly surrounding Inuyasha's upper arm.

She licked her lips unsurely, and gave herself a summarized version of the two-hour lecture about how she had to do this or the world was inevitably doomed on her behalf. Or something like that.

'_If I don't ask him about Kikyou, then what if it's true? I don't want to be used… But I want him to be happy. Both of these goals will hopefully be reached after this talk… It's __**your**__ life and responsibility, Kagome! Hurry now, before he gets impatient…'_

"Inuyasha… Who is Kikyou?" That was not the opening she was hoping for, but it begged the immediate reaction she had been shooting for anyway.

He did a double take and almost withdrew from her hold - in shock or protectiveness?

"Sh - She's… How do you know about Kikyou anyway? How should I know who she is?" He seemed flustered and his wild eyes searched for either an excuse or an escape, whichever met the fleeting orbs first.

"Don't lie, Inuyasha! How else would she know what my day-to-day schedule was if she didn't… _seduce_ it out of you?" Her temper flared at his obvious attempt at deceit, and her hand unconsciously tightened. He winced.

"H-how would your… mother feel if she knew you knew that word?" Inuyasha choked, even as he tried to change the subject.

"My mother's not stupid. Everybody knows these things nowadays. How would _your_ father feel if he knew you knew how to _cheat_ on _women_?!" Kagome raised her chin slightly, threateningly.

"_Women_!" He snorted, half heartedly. He tried to yank himself free from her vice-grip of a hold.

"Well, you're right. Usually only _women_ experience cheating guys. It should be _easier_ when you're only _thirteen_!" She retorted, her grasp steadfast and strong.

He hissed but tried to relax, hesitantly meeting her eyes.

"Kikyou is only a _friend._" He insisted, giving an "inconspicuous" tug at his arm. Her lips tautened.

"Liar **again**! _She_ said you guys have known each other _forever_ and that you only _care_ for _her!_" Kagome cried, shaking him thoughtlessly in barely suppressed rage.

When she had originally planned this, she had imagined a more dramatic, sorrowful, teary, romantic scene… Like, him explaining his never-dying love for Kikyou while she cried in earnest before the setting sun… And they were each four years older-looking and Inuyasha was more mature… And she wasn't yanking on his arm to keep him there. And she was pretty…

Nothing so cliché and fairy-tale-ish would **ever** happen to _this_ Higurashi Kagome! No sir-ree!

He struggled once more against her clutch, wining about cut-off blood circulation… She came back to reality.

"So, Inuyasha. _What did she mean??_" She shook his arm for effect after falling back into her part. Her eyes burned, like crackling wood, through her anger.

"Where did you talk to her anyway?" He cried out indignantly, and her eyes hardened another degree.

"Where else? Why did you tell her where I _swam??_" She asked, trying once again to narrow her eyes to match Kikyou's.

It dawned on him.

He laughed uncertainly.

"She just said she had to leave… early…" He stumbled.

"After you told her I took swimming lessons?" Kagome hissed.

"She was interested in _all_ my friends…" He said, looking away.

"You _can't_ give personal information away when anybody just asks you about me! How stupid is that?" She fumed, shaking her head violently.

"I didn't know she would go and… _confront_ you! What did you talk about anyway?" He asked, his anger rising as well.

"She said you guys were… going out." She said, and for a moment it seemed like she had lost all momentum (as well as a couple of inches), while she let out a "resigned" breath and just looked defeated and… lost. Then she regained her composure. He knew he would have a bruise on that arm in the morning.

They stood silently for a moment, him staring down at her, her staring up at him, her eyes questioning and accusing at the same time. He licked his lip and began nibbling on it.

"Well, Inuyasha… You only have to say… Yes… or no…" She said, her tone, this time, soft and meaningful.

Inuyasha pulled free of her now slackened grip and looked away for a moment before he met her eyes again.

"Ne ne, I've known Kikyou forever, Kagome. She was with me when I was six-years-old. She knew me when I was… in pain…"

"I've heard the history, Inuyasha." She responded dryly.

He licked his lip again.

"When we were younger, we considered ourselves… soul mates." He tried again.

"Your brother told me the -- harshest pain in your life was 'breaking up' with your small girlfriend." Kagome was not cruel enough to deliver the unedited quote.

Inuyasha nodded solemnly.

"It was like that… Kagome… It… always… _has_… been like that…" He looked away.

'_What's he going to say?'_

"Kagome… Sorry…" His voice was of longing…

"If you had to choose, would you pick her?" Her voice almost matched hers, than she realized… "It's not like you have to feel bad, you know… We're only thirteen. There really shouldn't be love affairs and romance dramas or anything like that! It's just a 'yes' or 'no' question, and then we both have an entire love life in front of ourselves! It's not like I'm going to be mad…" She put on a face of false cheer, encouraging him to be honest…

But if he chose Kikyou, would that mean that she was a bad person? Or that she didn't have the ability to make people happy?

He looked away and within his soul a battle was being fought. When he turned them up again, the resolve was flimsy.

"Kagome --- yes." Inuyasha sighed in defeat and steeled himself for the worst. If he had learned anything, Kagome was sensitive and friendly, but above all, she was a hopeless spitfire when it came to dealing anger.

Her small smile did not, by any means, reach her eyes.

"Okay." She chirped, her voice loaded with saccharine - falsely so.

She turned on her heel and began walking away.

"W-Wait, Kagome!" He always screwed these things up…

She stopped and he began contemplating what he was going to say to make her feel better when she relieved him of his job by speaking herself.

She did not face him when she spoke, but he was struck by the same lightening as if she had been staring him in the eyes.

"Say, what is the relationship between Kikyou and Sesshoumaru?" He did another double take.

"W…hat?" His eyebrows furrowed and he took a step forward.

She, in turn, took a step forward as well.

"Inuyasha? I'm just wondering." She said, but still did not face him.

His eyes became guarded once more.

"Well, then." He spoke harshly, taking his step back again. She did not copy.

"He doesn't have any relationship with Kikyou. He despises her, if that could be called a relationship. He doesn't even ignore her; he hates her, so I guess you could say he has those extracurricular feelings towards her. It's always been like that. Good luck with whatever you will accomplish with that information." He hissed coldly. She didn't respond, just began walking again.

"Kagome!" He called once more. This was an awkward and friendship-breaking predicament that they were in right now.

She half turned her head back toward him then seemed to change her mind, bursting instead into a capricious run. About ten steps away, she slowed to a jog, then burst back into a run, disappearing around the corner.

He stared solemnly after her, then tossed his head and turned to start home by himself.

---------------

"Inuyasha?" A girls voice sounded from the other side of the phone.

"Yes?" He asked back, recognizing the voice as he sat down at the table.

"It's Kikyou." She said boldly.

"I know." He responded.

"How was your day?"

"… It was fine."

"That's good. How are your friends?"

"They're fine."

"How is Kagome?"

"She's fine."

"That's good."


	22. Scene Nineteen, Friends

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

_After school, Kagome's house, Tokyo, Japan, July 17, 2004_

Kagome stared up at her ceiling and sighed for the umpteenth time.

Two days had passed. She hadn't been able to look Inuyasha in the eye yet.

"It's not his fault that he… knew Kikyou longer…" She sighed (again) and rolled over on the fluffy pink comforter.

_'He's probably really getting torn up with the way I treated him yesterday too… Like he didn't exist… I'm going through a lot too though! Besides, if he cared at all, he wouldn't be cuddling Kikyou right now anyway!' _Kagome sighed once more, and her cat companion finally got fed up and abandoned her.

"I haven't spoken to Sesshoumaru in a while." Kagome's comment brought realization to her eyes and, though she knew it wouldn't help her conflicting relationship with Inuyasha, she desperately wanted to see Sesshoumaru again. In any case, Inuyasha was probably with Kikyou and wouldn't know about it…

Kagome swerved off her bed and hit the ground with a thump.

Walking across the bedroom's tatami mats, she opened the door and departed the stifling cage's confines.

She walked down the stairs and managed an adoring smile towards the smaller Souta, who was building an exotic castle with his new building blocks.

She stepped into the kitchen and met up with her mother briefly.

"I'm going to see if I can get together with Sesshoumaru today, okay?" Kagome asked with a grin.

"Okay Kagome, but don't stay out too late…"

"Don't worry, he can drive me home if the need arises!" Kagome assured cheerfully, retrieving the phone happily.

--------------

Kagome walked to the park happily, humming energetically.

Sesshoumaru had agreed to meet her at the park so they could talk, even thought the hesitation in his voice did alert her to the possible fact that he had the same feelings as most high school goers about going to 'children's parks'.

In all cases, he had agreed.

But… what would she say to him when she saw him? She hadn't planned any of this…

Maybe she would ask him more about Kikyou…

The park came into view but Sesshoumaru had not yet arrived. Kagome jogged the rest of the way and took a seat on one of the swings. After what seemed an eternity of no Sesshoumaru, she began to swing herself…

Kagome studied the bright blue sky and the feathery white clouds, the absence of storm clouds and the fluttering of dark birds' wings.

Then after a second eternity, Sesshoumaru finally showed his angel's face.

Kagome smiled brightly when she saw him, and beckoned him beside her.

He stepped forward and she could imagine his grimace, knowingly sitting in the center of a child's play place. But he didn't grimace. Kagome sometimes envied him for his ability to keep the un-emotion on his face.

He studied her face for a moment before looking back ahead, his silent question heavy on the air: What did you call me for?

"So…" She began, "How are Inuyasha and Kikyou?"

Sesshoumaru obviously hadn't been expecting such a question, for his uniquely colored eyes flew to her instantly, trying to calculate her exact intentions. He finally shook his head and his eyes returned to their previous place.

"Inuyasha mopes, Kikyou in all her deviousness ignores it, and manipulates him into a false happiness every hour of living daylight." Sesshoumaru said monotonously, his eyes narrowed as he studied something on the distant horizon.

Kagome did not ask further.

"Well, I suppose I didn't really like him, because I got over moping yesterday." She decided aloud, not sparing him a glance.

She was surprised by his wry chuckle.

"You are brave, and foolish, Kagome." Sesshoumaru spoke, a critical, amused, but still enticing and slightly friendly smile lighting his lips.

She took a look at his expression and huffed indignantly, acquiring the childish urge to stick out her tongue in response to his 'observation'.

"Well, it's true!" She insisted, but found a smile catching her lips at his light, knowing glance.

"Alright Kagome. Is there anything else that you wanted to talk about?" He asked, raising a sleek eyebrow.

She recoiled in surprise at that statement, searching unexplainably for a decent answer…

Finding all the boldness in her, she looked him in the eyes and asked: "Do you want to eat ice cream or something? I really only wanted to _be_ with you anyway!"

He blinked and looked taken aback and a defensive look crossed her face automatically.

"What? Did you have prior engagements? Are you suddenly allergic to ice cream? I can just go home if you like." Her eyes challenged his, but he laughed softly again, but with none of the cynical bitterness in his voice as before.

"Very few people surprise me Kagome." He said with twinkling eyes, "You have the most violent mood swings second only to Inuyasha. I find them far more pleasant than the little whelps whining though, so I would be glad to just _be_ with you. Eating ice cream, of course, if you insist, for I have been tested time and time again and I have no such weakness as sugar."

She blinked at his mini speech - had she been expecting more than the minimum of necessary words anyhow?

She allowed very few people to surprise _her_ as well… And Sesshoumaru surprised her…

A bright grin lit her features.

"Alright then! I have a few dollars in my pocket, so it'll be okay!"

Sesshoumaru smiled, not daring to ask if she had planned this.

---------------

"The difference between Inuyasha and I is too drastic a wasteland to go into detail about." Sesshoumaru decided over a dignified bowl of chocolate ice cream… Or some insane mutation from such a flavor, in any case…

"Why?" Kagome grinned, a gigantic cone of vanilla-chocolate-caramel whatnot before her face.

"You could not go through twenty ice cream cones nor could you survive fifty bouts of hyper activity before I was finished with my list." Sesshoumaru decided stoically, and Kagome giggled.

"Well, you're more of a gentleman than Inuyasha." Kagome started.

"Inuyasha would not be capable of defining the word 'please' even to save his life." Sesshoumaru agreed.

"You both have the same looks though --"

"Not so. Inuyasha has no sense of personal hygiene, style, health, et cetera. He is a hopeless cause compared to me…"

"You are soooo vein, Sesshoumaru! There's another major difference!"

"Inuyasha would be vein as well, if he could amount to anything beside me."

Kagome grinned but said boldly still, "Inuyasha isn't _that_ horrible!"

"Try living with him sometime." Sesshoumaru decided.

"Well… Cheers then! To not having to live with Inuyasha! How messy is his room anyway?" Kagome asked, raising her cone.

After bopping the offered waffle cone with his plastic cup, Sesshoumaru returned to his refined high-ness and answered sardonically once more: "You can't imagine."

They laughed once more...


	23. Feudal Fairytale, Part II

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

_During school, Sesshoumaru's school, Tokyo, Japan, July 20, 2004_

Sesshoumaru sat tall and tentative in the classroom, as always, the picture of the perfect student.

The teacher spoke loudly and in a droning voice, but the wiser ones did not fall asleep to the tone of his voice.

"Japanese history and Japanese culture are very important. It is essential to know of your heritage. Since the beginning of time, stories have been a common means of entertainment and education. Stories to warn children against something naughty, and stories about foolish humans mistakes, and the infamous decisions of the ever watchful gods. Stories have developed into an important part of our history, and many have developed into myths and fables. Your project is to independently write a myth or fable, conveying an important moral or message. This will be due at the end of the semester."

The final bell rang.

The students wearily found their feet and shuffled out of the classroom, most hopelessly trudging to a harsh cram school in which they would never be free.

Sesshoumaru stood and thoughtlessly brushed his platinum pale blond hair back over his shoulder. His almost amber colored eyes sparked for a moment. Then an unusual smile appeared on his lips.

'_Perhaps it is necessary to enlist the help of one with more experience…'_

Sesshoumaru walked swiftly behind the crowd of dutiful machines, and kept a stern face as he continued home, separate Inuyasha and Kagome.

Kagome walked into the silent house, sighing as she dropped her bag on the ground.

She had greeted Inuyasha today. His reaction had been strange. He had looked at her bewildered, as if he had expected her to shoot him instead of say 'hi,' and then he had blushed, and then he had shaken his head and ignored her for the rest of the day.

Kagome was about to walk sullenly up to her room when the phone rang, startling her so that she jumped and yelped before calming her heart and going to the phone.

She was expecting her mom…

"Sesshoumaru?" Her face went slack for a moment, her eyes blank. Sesshoumaru was calling her?

"Kagome. I have had a rather… humorous thing happen to me today." He confided, a hidden chuckle in his voice.

"Yes?" She asked, speechless.

"My teacher has assigned me an independent project." Sesshoumaru paused and Kagome blinked… "I must write a myth."

Kagome laughed so hard that tears gathered behind her eyes.

Buyo darted through the kitchen and Kagome almost stepped on him as she stumbled back, falling onto a seat, giggling.

"That's funny, Sesshoumaru! That's so funny…" She grinned ear to ear, her eyes twinkling and her mood lightening.

"You are much easier to laugh than I, who must do it." He said, and she was not sure if it was a mockingly serious voice.

"But the great Sesshoumaru will be able to manage, right?" She joked, swinging her legs as Buyo came back to investigate.

"Kagome -- I might need your wisdom." He was not good nor did he like asking for help… he didn't even need it. Why was he playing with her, anyway?!

She burst out laughing once more in glee, happiness bubbling and swelling in her chest like a balloon.

"How bout Inuyasha?" She asked, quieting down.

"I would rather wing it myself than listen to that nimrod." He said bluntly. Kagome was compelled to fall into another fit of giggles.

"Should I go over to your house then?" She asked delightedly as Buyo jumped up into her lap. In his young age, he was lazy but limber.

"Would that be convenient?" He asked, suddenly distracted.

"Sure. When?" She asked, absentmindedly petting the purring Buyo, who sounded like a feline on massive catnip at the time…

"Are you busy today?"

"No… I'll just have to call my mom. She's at work." Kagome informed him.

"Okay, call me back in ten minutes… Goodbye." And then he hung up after what sounded like a half uttered curse word, muffled slightly in the background.

"Did you and somebody have a fight?" Kagome asked as she stepped in the door and abandoned her shoes.

"No, a fight and a pointless argument are two far different things. For instance, a fight is usually something to be taken seriously." Sesshoumaru said, and there might have been amusement in his voice.

"Care to share?" Kagome asked, following him into the dining room.

"Inuyasha has issues, unsolved." Sesshoumaru explained.

"I figured as much, but we all knew that." Kagome sighed, but her thoughts were more in playful friendship than malice towards Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha made a clumsy and particularly stupid mistake." Sesshoumaru nodded, retrieving paper and pen quietly.

"And?"

"Inuyasha almost broke the kitchen."

"What?!"

"The idiot was looking for Ramen. He managed to bring the entire pantry down on his head and he thinks I rigged it."

"The _pantry?_"

"A pointless quarrel ensued, and after I won he was left to kitchen duty. Now he's moping in his room because I failed to buy Ramen yesterday."

"Inuyasha was yelling because he made a mistake and couldn't eat food?"

"And he thought I jinxed him." Sesshoumaru smirked.

'_Of course, that conversation flowed into one about Kagome, and then Kikyou, and then touched on Mother before I knocked him out and locked him in his bedroom…'_

"So, do you have an idea for your project?"

"What are you here for, if not to brainstorm?"

"Hey, I'm just trying to help!"

"Noted."

"Sesshoumaru!"

"You were supposed to be here to help." Sesshoumaru reminded her accusingly, almost harshly. But she only stuck her tongue out in return. Inuyasha's incessant banging and the absence of a muse was driving them both insane and cranky.

"You were supposed to be smart." She challenged.

"You were supposed to be creative."

"I guess not everything is perfect for you after all, eh?"

"This is fairly pointless. I have better things to do."

"As do I…"

"Do you need a ride home?"

"Yes please…"

"We should get together later this week. Perhaps it will be easier without all the noise to think."

"Inuyasha is so loud."

"At least you will not be here the rest of the night…"

"Mama! I'm home!" Kagome called, walking into the house once again.

"Kagome! Hello!" Kagome's mother returned, smiling at her advancing daughter.

"What's for dinner?" Kagome asked.

" Are you hungry?"

"I've got some homework tonight too…"

"You were out with a friend while you had work?"

"We were doing work too, and he even explained a few math terms for me during the beginning. He gave me a piece of paper with a few examples on it." Kagome defended, but her face lit with a smile with the memory.

"Ah - that was nice." Mrs. Higurashi said, smiling, as she turned back to the rice on the stove.

"Dinner will be ready soon!" Mrs. Higurashi called as Kagome ran up the steps to finish her homework.

"Okay!"

'_Sesshoumaru is so nice!!'_


	24. Scene Twenty, Progression and Excellerat...

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

_Park near Kagome's house, Saturday afternoon, Tokyo, Japan, July 24, 2004._

"It reflects upon the school. Participating in a project normally assigned to children will not appear in any college entrance exam, or in any other exam for that matter. It is a disgrace on the school's part."

"What do you mean, 'assigned to children'? Even if it was assigned to a person two years -"

"Two and a half years, my dear Kagome."

"Two and a _half_ years then, Mr. Perfect-everything! Anyway, as I was saying before I was so _rudely_ interrupted… You obviously are not beyond the level of a 'child's assignment' if you are asking a 'child' to help you with your 'child's assignment'." Kagome stated proudly, raising an eyebrow in silent challenge. He smirked back.

"Very good Kagome." He said as he turned back to the spiral notebook on his lap and carefully penciled in a complex set of symbols.

"Taking notes? Are you going to _consider_ my advice, oh wise one?"

"Yes, seeing how old and experienced you are…"

Kagome huffed. "What _are_ you doing then?!"

"I'm _working_." He said tonelessly, but at the same time with amused mockery. Kagome was speechless at his audacity before she huffed indignantly and tried to push him off their bench.

_Flashback_

"So, do you have an idea about your myth?" Kagome asked boldly, falling into step with the tall Sesshoumaru.

"Yes." He replied, and she stumbled a bit.

"What's it gonna be about then, smart one?" She asked hotly, regaining her composure.

"It's going to be about a young girl, who speaks endlessly and is too sensitive. She meets with a sorceress who turns her into a horrid creature that cannot speak. A frog. She was then locked into a tall tower and forgotten about. She starved to death, eventually."

Kagome was dumbstruck. But she was not dense.

"You're such an insufferable jerk!" She said after a point of thunderstruck silence.

He made a point of glaring at her, but she had grown used to his cool gaze by now and she glared fervently back.

Then she grinned.

"It's a perfect idea! But the female should be a male, and he should be soooo quiet that an young female witch wants only to hear any voice of his, so her mother, concerned for her daughters mental health, turns the man into an ugly toad so that her daughter could, for even such a short period, hear his hideous croaking that was his voice."

It was Sesshoumaru's turn to be flabbergasted.

"What is the moral? And who are these characters parallel to?" He spoke slowly, glancing down at her as her smile widened.

"The moral is that you should always speak your mind to be understood and that beneath a beautiful face is a hideous voice." Kagome stated proudly and skipped ahead.

"A beautiful face and a hideous voice have I?" He asked cleverly, and she visibly tripped.

"I - I wasn't _talking_ about _you_!" She scrambled to explain herself…

"Ah. I see. We are just brainstorming."

"That's right! You started it!"

"Ah."

"And since you're stealing this story from English fairy tales…"

"What?"

"The frog ---"

"Is not kissed by a human female to turn into a prince." Sesshoumaru replied knowledgably, and gave her a mockingly questioning glance. She blushed and shook her head.

"You're so pompous! Fine! It's just like the fairy tale 'The Beauty and the Beast'."

"The frog is not turned human by a loving female." He said again and she gave him a murderous glance.

"In 'The Beauty and the Beast,' a witch turns a man into a terrible beast because he-"

"Spoke too much, drank too much, and was too cruel."

"Well, you fit at least _one_ third of that description!" Kagome stuttered nervously, managing a weak glare.

"So you were referring to me and I have a beautiful face and a hideous voice?"

"I was _going_ to say we should name the toad an American name since you took the _basic idea_ from an American fairy tale!"

"Was it not a frog?"

"A _toad_ is better." Kagome insisted.

"What is your proposition?"

"… We should call him 'Jake'."

"Jake?"

"It's an American male name! Don't you know?"

"So it does not begin with a 'S'?" Sesshoumaru asked slyly.

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome cried and shoved him away in embarrassment.

_End Flashback_

"Well, I suppose we haven't got much more than that, have we?"

"We have much time to finish."

"So we're just gonna… Leave it for now?"

"It is getting dark."

Kagome looked at her watch.

"No it's not! It's still early!" Kagome's eyes flew to the sky… The clouds were retreating to the horizon in eager dexterity.

"We will continue speaking about this another day. Farewell Kagome."

"W-Wait!" Kagome cried out, taking a step toward him.

"Yes?" He asked, his mask expertly back in place.

Did he put it back on each time before he went home?

Aren't you supposed to drop them when you get home, where you are safe?

"My little brother plays soccer." She spoke, looking away. She almost flinched now that she saw the true seriousness of his practiced façade.

"Yes?" He pressed, and tried to soften his expression a bit.

"You wanna come to his game on Wednesday? It's at five o'clock… Will it interfere with… prep school or something?"

"I surpassed the teacher's limited knowledge when I was young." Sesshoumaru informed her with little humor in his voice - was what he said true?

Wow.

"So you wanna come?" She asked, her eyes meeting his finally.

He studied her for a moment, and then nodded.

She grinned.

"Okay! Maybe we can talk about your story again then!"

"Until Wednesday." He nodded.

She turned and skipped away.

He turned and walked.

Had he one less second of 'face practice' in his sixteen years, he would have grinned as well.


	25. Twenty One, Sunset Photography

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

_Outside of Kagome's school, after school, Tokyo, Japan, July 31, 2004_

Kagome stood outside the school for a moment before remembering that she and Sesshoumaru had a 'study date.'

Halfway between a sigh and a smile, Kagome turned into the side street beside her school where Sesshoumaru was inevitably waiting for her.

He came into view soon enough, and then a thought struck, causing her to freeze for an instant, before tripping.

_'Souta's soccer game!'_ Kagome thought. It was in an hour! Kagome regained her composure and sprinted towards Sesshoumaru's looming figure.

His eyes flickered with confusion when she skidded to a half-halt, grabbed his hand, and dragged him in the other direction at a quick speed.

"Where are we going, Kagome?" He managed calmly without panting, looking at her questioningly.

"My brother has a soccer game today!" Kagome gasped.

"Ah." He seemed to calculate the rest in his head and once that was finished, he picked up his pace to match hers.

"You should come along too! We could study there! Do you have a cell phone?" Kagome asked.

"Yes." He replied, and his eyes flashed with amusement.

"Okay, here's the plan… We'll go to the park where Souta plays, and then we'll do your homework…" Kagome said…

"What is the point of going to watch your brothers soccer game, if you are not going to watch it?" Sesshoumaru asked laughingly.

Kagome glanced at him, then a smile lit her face.

"Then you can come along for the entertainment value!" Kagome laughed.

"Oh! Kagome. I'm glad you're here." Mrs. Higurashi smiled warmly at the pair as they dashed up to the lawn chairs set up around the soccer field.

Kagome smiled and released Sesshoumaru's hand.

"Hello, as well, to you, Sesshoumaru. It's nice to see you again." She bowed and her eyes sparkled with friendliness.

He did the same and mustered a small smile. "Likewise." He said quietly.

With that exchange finished, Mrs. Higurashi turned back to a gigantic bag sitting (slouching) behind her.

"Would you two mind taking pictures? I don't have the steadiest hands when it comes to cameras…" Mrs. Higurashi laughed sheepishly.

Kagome laughed with her and retrieved a camera from the older woman's hands. "Okay! That'll be fun!"

Sesshoumaru took one as well and bowed slightly in thanks.

As they took their positions parallel to the place Souta would be standing, a chant rang out from the huddle of soccer players and with a roaring cheer, the young players took their positions.

"Go Souta!" Kagome called loudly, jumping up and down, laughing with the others.

Sesshoumaru stole a glance at the easy-to-please, happy-go-lucky girl, and managed a small smile himself… But he would not lower himself to mad hooting and… hopping around making pointless ruckus.

Two young males stepped into the center of the field and the referee flipped a coin. With that, the game began.

Souta was an offensive player, but halfway through he was switched to the goalie. He saved five out of six balls, and one of his saves was so miraculous that some people forgot to cheer.

Kagome clicked away on her camera furiously, catching all the players on Souta's team in their best moments. Sesshoumaru did the same.

"Why does your mother want us to take pictures?" Sesshoumaru asked, lowering the disposable camera for a moment.

"Souta's team is making a big poster with all of their names and pictures on it. If they win one more game after this, they'll be in the news paper! Mom thought it would be cool to have a neat backdrop." Kagome explained, grinning.

"You volunteered to help?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Yup. I thought it sounded like fun." Kagome said, spinning before she took another shot. "Eight shots left…" She spoke under her breath.

"You're a strange girl, Kagome." Sesshoumaru said, but when Kagome looked up in surprise at his comment, his camera was before his face again and his genuine smile was being well hidden by fluttering strands of loose pale blond hair…

"You let your hair down!" Kagome said in surprise. Sesshoumaru nodded without words.

"It's soooo pretty!" Kagome crooned… He nodded once more and lowered his camera to look at the soccer game through his own eyes…

Kagome turned and took a picture of him, but he didn't notice…

Kagome grinned and yelled more encouraging words for the soccer team… Souta's team was winning.

"Congratulations Souta!" Kagome said, but instead of the customary hug, she grinned and patted his head. It was possible just as embarrassing, but she allowed him to bat her hand away while in the presence of friends.

Souta's team had won.

"We have quite a bit to clean up." Mrs. Higurashi observed, and indeed, the sidelines of the soccer field were strewn with wrappers and water bottles and countless other things.

"We should take all this in to recycle it. We could get rich." Kagome said jokingly as they gathered the trash and put it in black trash bags.

"I imagine you would." Sesshoumaru agreed, fighting not to scrunch his nose every time he touched the wrapper of another beings disposal…

"How's Inuyasha? I bet he would have liked to come. Doesn't Inuyasha like sports?" Kagome asked, looking up at the setting sun.

"Inuyasha is fine… He plays soccer and football." Sesshoumaru said stoically.

"His version of anger management?" Kagome giggled.

"He's on the offensive… He's usually pulled out for excessive violence halfway through. The couch encourages it." A smile threatened to dawn on Sesshoumaru's lips.

Kagome's eyebrows raised but she didn't look _too _surprised.

"And you?" Kagome asked.

"Most of my physical education is in various forms of fighting…" Sesshoumaru did not know how better to explain.

"You mean… You fight with swords and… your hands and stuff?" Kagome asked. He looked at her strangely and she blushed and smiled sheepishly…

"That would be a fairly diluted version of it, yes…" Sesshoumaru fought the urge to grin.

"What else do you do then?" Kagome asked, turning back to her work.

"I'm studying English…" Sesshoumaru said.

"That's neat." Kagome exclaimed.

"Yeah." Sesshoumaru replied.

He looked up and met her eyes, smiled with an amused twinkle in the twin orbs, swimming gold beneath the fire, and looked back down, as the sun set behind them.


	26. Twenty Two, Of Festivals and Bargains

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

_Sesshoumaru's House, after school, Tokyo, Japan, August 6, 2004_

"Hey, Sesshoumaru…" Kagome asked, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. She grinned when his upside-down figure shifted to accommodate for a returning, withering look.

It no longer had any effect, she was proud to declare as she flopped across his bed, staring at him as he typed something or another on his computer.

"You get a lot of homework, don't you?" She asked, suddenly distracted from her original cause. He renewed his glare - friendlily.

"Anyway… there's a festival being sponsored by our school taking place tomorrow, did you know?" She asked casually.

He gave her a tired scowl, but beneath it was amusement and curiosity.

"No, I didn't know. I do not go to your school." He stated cruelly; she blinked and sputtered for a moment before sitting up to glare levelly at him.

"Well, in all cases, there is a festival tomorrow and - well… I'd be obliged if you escorted me." She said with a grin.

"There are some bees that cannot be caught with either vinegar or honey." Sesshoumaru mumbled monotonously beneath his breath, typing furiously with a small smirk.

"You're such a grouch! Do you donate at Christmas? I'd have a much higher opinion of you if you came." Kagome stated, closing her eyes in annoyance but immediately cracking one open again to observe his expression.

He bowed his head another quarter of an inch over the keyboard, effectively shifting a curtain of hair in front of his face which was ruthlessly betraying his emotions at the moment.

"Are you incapable of a meaningful word?" He asked lightly, unable to keep the amused ring from his voice.

"No, are you incapable of a meaningful action?" Kagome challenged, crossing her arms defiantly over her chest.

He was about to respond when a click and 'whoosh' was heard as Inuyasha barged into the room thoughtlessly, intent upon Kagome.

Sesshoumaru gave him a contemptuous glare that clearly stated 'Aren't you supposed to be off doing unspeakable things with your own witch?' Inuyasha gave a disdainful snort but otherwise ignored the unfriendly look.

"Your mum called. You have to go home. She'd be 'very grateful' if Sesshoumaru gave you a ride." With that said, Inuyasha galloped out the door, completely disregarding Sesshoumaru's presence or his own intrusion.

Sesshoumaru sighed, his fist unclenching unconsciously.

She looked expectantly at him.

"I can give you a ride home." Sesshoumaru said, deftly leading the mouse to and fro across the screen, saving his work before standing.

She smiled, muttered a 'thanks,' before rising to join him.

_The ride home_

"So, tomorrow can you come?" Kagome asked cheerfully, watching the road with a smile on her face.

He looked at her before responding playfully: "I have prior engagements."

"That's interesting. Cancel them." Kagome offered, smiling all the wider.

He remained silent, and she was unsure if he didn't have an answer, he had and his silence meant 'no,' or he had and his silence meant 'yes.'

"Well?" She asked.

He glanced at her again before a faint smile curved his lips.

"We shall strike a bargain." Sesshoumaru declared, obviously pleased with himself.

"You have the 'I'm better than the world' look on, Sesshoumaru." Kagome grinned, but did not discourage his remark.

"You will participate in a project that I am beginning a week from now, and you will not indulge in any fantasies or gossip that I did this for any reason other than my own whimsical relief." Sesshoumaru stated, all in dry seriousness.

"What kind of project?" Kagome asked suspiciously.

"A mere paint project." He answered nonchalantly.

"How many hours?" She asked.

"We will be painting my bedroom." Sesshoumaru said, a gleam in his eye.

"Oh. Okay." Kagome said, agreeing readily.

"You will refrain from being the gossipy female that you are." Sesshoumaru said.

"… Hey!" Kagome exclaimed; she was rewarded with a smirk.

"Do you accept these standards?" Sesshoumaru asked. She slumped back into her seat and summoned a mock glare.

"Yes, of _course_, Lord Sesshoumaru!" She said, and he smirked wider.

He went as far as he could and then let her off, leaving her to walk the rest of the way in the dusk.

Despite everything, she grinned at him, and he returned it with a soft smile. She exited the car and jogged towards the barely-distant shrine steps.

He pulled away.

_The festival_

Kagome laughed as she started out the evening with a gigantic teddy bear.

"You're really good at that, Sesshoumaru!" Kagome laughed, hugging the chocolate brown bear with all her might.

They were both dressed appropriately for the school's festival.

Kagome wore a bright red kimono with golden designs glittering across the fabric with the absence of a pattern.

Sesshoumaru wore white hakama and haori, completely stoic in the unusual garb.

They made quite the odd couple, Sesshoumaru being at least a foot and a half taller than Kagome, the bear being at least a foot and a half fatter, and the mismatch of… everything else. But they were both having fun, even as well as one of them hid it.

"What is the point of this?" Sesshoumaru asked as a couple of pink-kimono-clad girls giggled past in a whirlwind.

"To raise money." Kagome explained simply.

"What for?" Sesshoumaru asked. She looked dumbfounded for a moment, and then shrugged. That was the end of that conversation.

Then she spotted a stuffed pig that had to have been at least two times larger than the stuffed bear --

"Sesshoumaru!" She exclaimed.

"We will be seeing each other again shortly." Sesshoumaru smiled.

Kagome seemed lost for a moment before…

"Oh." It struck her. She grinned, halfway between sheepishness and mischievousness.

"I'll just have you know beforehand though; I'm no painter! I'm not even an artist!" Then she left, dragging two armfuls of stuffed animals and toys with her.

He fought a grin that would not be dampened, and she returned it heartily.

"You're the best Sesshoumaru!" She cried, gasping as she almost dropped a fairly large fan on the ground.

He smiled in response.


	27. The Well

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

_Sesshoumaru's House, After School, Tokyo, Japan, August 12, 2004_

"Sesshoumaru!" She whined, "I thought you were just kidding!"

He smirked at her in cruel amusement.

"I didn't understand your standards!" She challenged. His smile widened.

"You've got homework!" She tried finally…

Nothing.

She sighed resignedly and willed her eyes to fall on the cans of sage green paint lining the wall.

"You have to cut it in first." He said as she moved for a paintbrush.

She looked at him in confusion.

"Use a smaller brush to paint along the edges of the wall and electrical outlets." He explained simply.

"You said I only had to _help_." Kagome grumbled, hands on hips.

"I will." He said, then turned away. She huffed and then took up a 'smaller' paintbrush.

This was gonna be a long day, and it was a school night!

**---**

Kagome yawned as she dipped the paintbrush for the umpteenth time.

"Your highness?" She snapped tiredly.

"Yes?" He asked stoically, but she could hear the aw amusement in his voice.

"I wanna go home." She declared, standing.

"Are you done?" He asked. She glared as she heard the laughter in the words.

"_No._ Even you said it wouldn't be done in a day!" She said, stomping her foot childishly in emphasis.

A drastic mood swing justified Sesshoumaru' unexpected response…

"Okay. Do you want a ride?" He turned and smiled.

Later on, Kagome couldn't remember if she had dreamed this entire episode up or not.

She smiled back and they walked out of the room…

**---**

Kagome walked the rest of the way home in the twilight, the colors of the setting sun glittering against her black hair.

Upon reaching the shrine steps, she deemed it safe enough to release a whimsical, girlish giggle.

She dashed up the steps but stopped short, halfway to the house.

Her wide eyes dragged over to the small well-house that was upon the grounds, its presence eerie in the falling darkness.

A gust of wind caught Kagome unaware and she tore her eyes away from the haunting, alluring sight…

Had the well-house been glowing?

Kagome shivered and retreated back into her own house, taking the stairs two at a time and closing the door softly behind her…

She closed the window as the wind transformed itself into voices, and sat down on the floor to try and do homework.

Her eyes turned glassy for a moment as she saw something on the inside of her vision…

Sesshoumaru…

Glaring at her…

And then his smile.

And then…

"_Love you Sesshoumaru!"_

Echoing into the silence of her room, into her stunned ears - for she recognized the voice, before her mother called into the room, inquiring over her health… It was dinner time.

**---**


	28. The Well Part II

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

_Sesshoumaru's house, Aug 14, 2004 (Tokyo Japan)_

"No! It's your turn to paint! I wanna play on the computer!" Kagome protested, sagging against a dry wall in an attempt to catch her breath.

"I will mercilessly kill you if you lay a single finger on this keyboard." Sesshoumaru warned with an edge of amusement in his otherwise deadly serious voice. Kagome 'humphed' and considered whacking him in the head.

"I will mercilessly kill you if you lay a single finger on me." He added, as if reading her mind, as she seethed and picked up her paint brush full of sage green paint.

"I will not _only_ mercilessly kill you, I will chase you through the afterlife if that paint brush comes even a _centimeter_ closer to my head."

Kagome groaned and wiped her hand across her face, unintentionally leaving a trail of pale green paint across her cheek.

Sesshoumaru continued typing, an occasional smirk lighting his face.

Kagome crept over to look over his shoulder, knowing that he probably heard her, but couldn't resist the temptation of sneaking…

She mentally sighed heavily, for she knew that he would _mercilessly kill her_ if she dared even wipe paint in his hair. Dear God, that would be serious…

"A chat board?" She asked incredulously, her eyes scanning over the array of letters and smiley faces that adorned the screen.

"Yes." He confirmed, typing in a quick sentence and pressing 'enter'.

"That is _so_ boring." Kagome commented, looking at the heading. He sent a mock glare at her and smirked.

"And what website would you recommend?" Sesshoumaru challenged, watching her eyes twinkle.

"Try going to the homepage for 'Nostalgia." Kagome suggested.

"That children's site?" He argued.

"Yeah. I haven't seen it in years." Kagome said.

Sesshoumaru visibly sighed, before typing in the website address.

Both of them blinked when music came blaring out of his speakers, a tune that would have sounded better on "Dragon Tales". Kagome tumbled over laughing as a dull thud was heard from across the hall.

"What _is_ that?!" Inuyasha busted in, staring incredulously, then to look at Sesshoumaru's pain-struck face.

He began to laugh.

"Out of my room." Sesshoumaru finally managed weakly before making a dive for the volume control.

Inuyasha happily complied, bent over laughing cruelly.

"Your face… was so funny!" Kagome gasped as Sesshoumaru panted, staring at the little animation: two yellow unicorns bounding across the pink polka dotted screen.

"It's not like I was _planning_ that!" Kagome defended, watching the city flicker by through the tinted window…

"Treacherous woman, don't deny it." He huffed, staring ahead with as much feigned calm as he could… She only laughed at his remark though, earning a trauma-filled glare.

Kagome suspected that he wouldn't forget that incident for a while; he had probably acquired Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or something…

He'd think twice before he abandoned her to do the paint to play on the computer!

She was giggling so madly now that he turned up the radio and tried, instead, to concentrate on driving. Her laughter was a sweet undertone to the music though… He shook his head to try and clear that thought.

_"In an awkward embrace, you looked into my eyes… 'Believe…' now entrust to me…"_

The song sounded strangely familiar.

"Hey! This is that song I sung for my birthday!" Kagome declared proudly, answering his thoughts.

"Ah." He agreed, remembering it now.

"I love this song!" Kagome said dreamily, leaning up on the dashboard with a contented smile.

"I'm sure you would." He said teasingly.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Kagome cried, snapping back up to challenge him. He chuckled softly at her expression but remained silent.

His thoughts were as clear as daylight: 'First unicorns and polka dots, then you sappy music…'

Of course, the esteemed Sesshoumaru would never reduce himself to such thoughts, but on the other hand, Kagome was definitely prone to human assumption.

"You are such a jerk!" She cried out, "You should get over it and move on! You don't have to remember every stupid thing I do! Sesshoumaru!" She would have attacked his head had they not been in a moving car at the time…

"I love ice cream…" Kagome sighed in ecstasy. Sesshoumaru raised a delicate eyebrow as she stared, with stars in her eyes, at the heaped ice cream cone.

"Remind me why we came here?" He asked irritably.

"Because I finished painting your room today." Kagome said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "And since you didn't keep your promise that you would help… This is definitely the best penalty in the world…"

Sesshoumaru suppressed a resolved sigh as he gave himself to the cup of rocky road. He was not so audacious as to eat out of a cone. How undignified.

As Sesshoumaru was not the type to start a conversation, Kagome did instead.

"Hey Sesshoumaru? You remember that time when the house disappeared?" She asked loudly, drawing a few stares.

He almost cast his eyes to the heavens when the attention was drawn to them: 'Give me strength…' He begged. Who knew how long he could hold out against this outgoing, ever happy girl?

"Yes." He said softly, firmly.

"Well, not like my house disappeared, but I think there's some weird voodoo going around in this world." She confessed, catching a drip of melted white on its way down the waffle.

Sesshoumaru tried to arrange himself to look like a stranger to such an insane girl, but it was rather difficult sitting across from her…

"Yes?" He questioned.

"I think my well house was glowing yesterday." She said.

"Imagination." Was his first response.

She glared.

"Don't write it off so easily!" She cried out, leaning forward a bit. "What if it's _magic_?"

"Kagome has a magical well. That's interesting." His lips curled up and amusement flickered in his eyes, not out of cruelty, but because he couldn't resist the urge to tease her.

"Oh Sesshoumaru. You're no help at all." She sighed in resolve, casting her eyes to the heavens: 'Give me strength…' She begged. Who knew how long she could hold out against this teasing, annoyingly quiet guy?

"You think fate is inserting _magical_ events in your life to prepare you for something extraordinary in your future?" He asked finally, smiling to himself.

"Yes! Exactly! I knew you weren't stupid!" She cried out, once more throwing herself forward and raising her voice.

He was caught between rubbing away a burning headache and laughing at her crazy antics.

Finally, he settled for both. Now the entire population of the ice cream place (quite large on a Saturday night) would think him crazy as well. Lovely.

Kagome growled in warning when she saw that he had only been kidding around.

"Sesshoumaru!" She cried out in rage, finally giving into the instinct that had been buzzing all day, and jumping him.

"That was smart." He commented, humor somewhere in the deep confines of his voice despite his wry expression.

"You deserved it, you arrogant jerk." She huffed, turning her face away and raising her chin.

"I remember a time when I was young and still believed in fairy stories…" He taunted, watching her face contort into something akin to murderous anger. He almost smiled.

"Don't make me hit you again." She warned, sending a slit chocolate glare at him.

"Kagome, you never did hit me. You put on a show." He said, deftly dodging her foot which had veered to step heavily upon his own - meeting only concrete.

With a snort, his eyes flashed to hers briefly and a feral, playful grin lit his face for an instant.

"I can't believe you got us kicked out of an ice cream shop smaller than my room…" Sesshoumaru laughed, his vaguely merry gaze contrasting deeply to her seething glare… He knew what was coming…

"Sesshoumaru!!" He caught her when she flew into him, suppressing another laugh as he trapped her in a playful embrace, enduring her kicking and yells, and the nervous glances everybody was sending them before hurrying away.

As usual, Sesshoumaru did not give her the proper farewell that she never expected from him, instead only giving her a suggestive look and taking off before she could act on the friendly but deadly anger that burned directly below the circles of her irises.

After he was out of eyesight, she smiled triumphantly, for no reason, turned, and marched all the way home.

"That jerk!" She cried out, grinning despite herself as she remembered his dark amber eyes below torrents of platinum locks.

A dreamy look entered her eye as she pictured his face once more…

"It's not fair that he's prettier than me!" She cried out quite suddenly, scaling the shrine steps before bursting into her house as the sun set again.

She ignored for a moment the magnetic pull of the well house, tried to ignore the concise flicker of bluish light before she disappeared before the strong wooden door of her own home.

_'Fate indeed.'_ She tried to assure herself, abandoning her shoes and walking innocently into the dining room where her mother was just finishing setting up the table.

"Did you have a good time?" Her mother greeted warmly.

"Yeah." She said cheerfully, deciding there were just a few details of her good time that she should leave out… Including her 'early desert', she realized, as she smelt the warm cakes scent drift into the room, gently teasing her senses.

"It smells so good!" She exclaimed, smiling at her mother as they both took their places at the low table.

Kagome sat in her room and did her homework, concentrating unwaveringly on the paper before her.

"Four… times…Twelve… plus sixteen… divided by twenty-nine… squared… minus six plus four… equals… WHAT?! This is so confusing!!" Kagome yelled in frustrations as she wondered at the wisdom of chucking her math book across the room.

"I'm gonna do history instead!" She exclaimed, finally settling with just placing the offending book out of her direct sight.

_'Powerful… leaders of Japan… Hierarchy… The Lord was the strongest member in the household… His vassal the second most important…'_ Kagome then saw at the edge of her peripheral vision a pulsing of white light.

"Oh no… Gods." Kagome thought as she rose to her feet and walked to the window, adjusting the curtain to look cautiously out.

The light blinked from blue to silver to crimson, great beacons of neon glow surrounding the small structure periodically.

Couldn't Mama see it? Kagome thought desperately, watching, entranced and enchanted as the well house performed its show.

"Bright… like fireworks…" Kagome thought, another voice seeming to urge her to spring from her window and meet the inviting warm light.

Was the well alive?

And then a voice…

_She can see lights that no one else can…_

_Fate readying you for something extraordinary…_

Kagome yelled as she was assaulted, once again, by strange and varying voices, but by then it had stopped.

A mewl startled her out of her dazed reverie as she spun to defend herself from the intruder.

Buyo stood innocently behind her, looking up with dramatically huge, bright green eyes. He seemed to be waiting for something…

Kagome sighed as she kneeled on the balls of her feet to pet the cat, who purred accordingly, while she spoke to herself…

"That's soooo weird. Is there some kind of disease where you can see weird lights all the time?" She asked the clueless cat…

He looked up and seemed to smile secretively.

'Not all the time. The well.' His eyes screamed.

"You don't know that… But it… is the well I guess." She said, resigned to satisfying the cat's endless request.

'Are you afraid of it?' He seemed to ask. She jumped to the defensive automatically.

"No way! I'm not afraid of an inanimate object like the well!" She cried.

He seemed to laugh at her.

Then he left.

"Traitor." She said, but he had seemed to help.

"Are you okay Kagome?" There was a knock on her opened door.

"Yeah…" Then she wondered if her mom was referring to the lights… But looking at her eyes, no. They weren't awestruck or flabbergasted, only typically concerned.

"Is your homework done?" She asked.

"No… I'm on history." Kagome confessed.

"Please get it finished Kagome. I don't mind letting you stay with Sesshoumaru for most of the day, he's really sweet… But you need to maintain your grades too, please." She requested, smiling.

"Okay Mama." Kagome said, valiantly trying for a cheerful smile.

Her mother smiled back and looked ready to leave when…

"Are you having trouble with your math homework?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.

"Only a little bit… I'll get it done." Kagome answered. She was never good at lying, but then she was never good at worrying anybody either.

Her mother smiled…

"Maybe you could see if Sesshoumaru would help you as kindly as Inuyasha did." She offered. Kagome nodded. Her mother departed.

Kagome giggled as she remembered the look on Inuyasha's face after spending an hour trying to explain a single problem…

How long would Sesshoumaru's face hold?


	29. Birthday Shopping

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

_After school, Sesshoumaru's house, Tokyo, Japan, August 18, 2004_

Kagome lay on Sesshoumaru's bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Sesshoumaru clicked away, looking on the Internet for background information for his newest assignment that he was trying to finish.

Kagome was brainstorming.

Kagome blinked when, from the small dark speakers, the faint ringing of the 'happy birthday' song began.

Sesshoumaru gave an audible, exasperated sigh.

He didn't like music on websites, apparently. Kagome's eyes widened.

"Sesshoumaru!" She gasped, as if choking.

He turned in alarm, tossing a stray wisp of silver-gold over his shoulder.

His eyes asked the question that he was too quiet to vocally make known.

'What is it?'

See, because three words are three too many to be passing his pale lips…

"My brother's birthday! It's this Saturday!" She had the deer-in-the-headlights down pat.

'So?' He asked mentally.

"Today I've gotta buy him a gift!" She cried out.

"Why can't you do it tomorrow?" He asked bored.

"Because! I'm busy!" She said. "Mama already bought him a present yesterday… C'mon! We have to go!"

"Do you think your mother appreciates this constant show of unplanned errands?" He asked; if he was to talk an excessive amount, he would certainly do it with the air of aristocracy that was his personality.

"Japanese, lease!" Kagome said, distracted, hysterical, dragging him down the stairs.

"You did not inform your mother of an outing to the… store." He said.

She glared. "The word is 'tell,' and she doesn't mind… As long as I'm with an adult." Kagome finished.

"That adult would be?" He challenged.

"Well, if you're not capable… I guess tomorrow I can walk by myself."

That settled it.

Once there, Kagome dragged the seething Sesshoumaru out of the parked car and into the crowded mall.

Sesshoumaru rewarded her efforts with a withering glare, but Kagome smiled back knowingly.

"How old is your brother?" Sesshoumaru asked icily, but she giggled. He furrowed his brow; she was no longer affected by his antics.

"My brother is turning eight." She told him, looking to and fro, for a birthday gift.

"What does he enjoy?" He returned…

"Blocks… Cars… Hats…" Kagome named deftly.

"Hats?" He couldn't keep the incredulity out of his voice.

"My brother has a strange obsession and fascination with hats… Especially woman's hats… Especially red." Sesshoumaru decided not to ask her to go into detail.

"This is a funny one!" Kagome commented, trying to move the long white feather out of her line of sight to look at Sesshoumaru.

He nodded once, his eyes catching on the strange object before returning to the assorted shelves… of hats.

"Do you wanna go to his party?" She asked suddenly, scrutinizing a brilliant blue 'basket hat,' avoiding his gaze.

He didn't respond, so she promptly looked up in confusion. He stood before her, looking down at her with solemn amber eyes.

She squeaked and tumbled back a step, grabbing her chest immediately in shock.

"You scared me!" She scolded. He moved fast.

He continued to stare down at her, and she began to get apprehensive…

"If this is about my asking you to Souta's party --- you don't _have_ to go…" She blushed, flustered, adverting her eyes once again while waving her hand in emphasis.

He caught her hand in mid air, held it firmly in his larger hand.

"Do you want me to go?" He asked boldly, unwaveringly.

She looked meekly up at him, trying to read his expression, painfully aware of the ring of extra heat around her slim wrist…

"Only if you want to." She responded softly, tugging halfheartedly at her captured hand.

He released it abruptly, turning back to pick up an exceptionally bright red hat, velvet with a pink rose in the front, glued atop a black band.

He placed it frivolously on her head, then turned towards the checkout, a second red had in tow.

"I will go." He replied, casting a glance back at her, amusement flickering temporarily in the pale orbs before he placed the item gently on the checkout counter.

She took a sharp intake of breath before following cautiously…

Kagome took the gigantic banana clip off the rack, the white polka dotted pink clip glittering beneath the fluorescent lights.

An almost-audible sigh was heard behind her but she only batted her hand back at him, as if shooing away a fly.

"Kagome…" He couldn't quite keep the growl out of his voice.

"Come on Sesshoumaru! Didn't you see the stuffed animal? This is the coolest place ever!" Stars and hearts alternated as substitutes for her normally chocolate colored eyes.

"I'm sure you would think so." He said monotonously.

"If you're so bored, go over to that sword place across the hall." She said, once again waving him away without even the slightest of tone changes.

He almost uttered a 'humph,' but Kagome heard it, and smiled secretively.

She finally straightened.

"Okay, we can leave now. You wanna help me with my math?" Kagome asked, the evil streak glittering in her eye for a moment.

He hesitated before nodding.

"Order of operations." He said simply, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I know that! Which goes first smarty pants? Division or multiplication?"…


	30. The Party

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

_Souta's birthday party, August 21, 2004, Tokyo, Japan_

"So, how did you do?" Kagome asked, smiling brightly.

He didn't reply, so Kagome assumed he hadn't heard back yet.

"You know you're going to get a good grade on it. You're like, a nerd." She giggled, tempted to wink.

He sent her a calculated glare in response.

_'Guess he does get worked up over every little assignment.'_ She thought with a secret smile. _'He has to be perfect.'_

She was about to speak again when a kid, even shorter than her, breezed past, knocking her over. She let out an audible gasp as she plummeted towards the counter top.

"Yikes!" She cried out as her hands reached out to steady herself.

A hand wrapped around her upper arm and she was jerked back into a standing position before she could register what was happening. Her hand slapped to her forehead as she tried to still her rolling eyes, finally managing a half glare, half grateful look at Sesshoumaru.

"Give me whiplash why don't you." She scolded, but there was no contempt in her voice and she didn't pull away from his hold.

He gave her a look of indifference, but she could tell that he was silently scrutinizing her for any signs of damage, a faint and almost unrecognizable glint of concern beneath his honey colored eyes.

She also noticed when he sent a scornful glare at the child who had ruthlessly bumped into her, and the said infant hurried away without a second glance.

She laughed in relief at the disgusted look on his face, and she could almost hear his voice - _'Something Inuyasha did many times. Brat.'_

Of course, this Sesshoumaru was too mature for such words anymore. He simply steadied her and withdrew his support, a cursory look-over confirming his worry.

Kagome smiled and stepped away (however reluctantly) from his touch, before turning to look at the woman behind the counter, staring at them with a knowing, teasing smile.

Kagome blushed hotly and was about to retort about the secretive glance when she was suddenly jarred by a stampede of children, running for the games.

Kagome yelled as she tumbled over for the second time, and Sesshoumaru looked halfway between fury and shock as the wave of nine-year-olds flooded past them.

Sesshoumaru was able to keep his feet, but Kagome had, coincidentally, of course, toppled right into his arms which were, coincidentally, of course, held out towards her.

Kagome only blushed more when she realized her position, and the final stage of tomato initiation happened when the amused titter erupted from the observer behind the counter, softly.

Kagome jerked back this time in embarrassment, and looked ready to kill someone - surprisingly, a look that Sesshoumaru mirrored perfectly.

Mrs. Higurashi stumbled up before the two disheveled people and smiled a wary, almost-defeated-but-still-struggling smile, apologized breathlessly, and then tried to catch up with the 'herd.' Not before handing them each a cup of tokens, of course.

It was arcade, and this was a birthday party, after all.

"Lets go play a game before we become road kill." Kagome decided, a growl rising in her throat as she left the counter, following the kids and the adult at a distance, with Sesshoumaru beside her.

Sesshoumaru didn't answer, but she could feel his displeasure rolling off him in waves, his eyes seething.

She stole a glance at him, and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry." She said.

"It was not I that was thrown to the floor… twice." He said indifferently.

_'He's mad… for me?'_

Kagome yelled as she failed yet again, a few tickets gurgling from the worn machine.

"Not again!" She groaned, finally moving away from the game.

"You are out of tokens." Sesshoumaru said, only an inkling of amusement audible in his voice.

"So are you." She huffed, crossing her arms irritably, gathering and folding her tickets with an air of finality.

"How many did you acquire?" He asked, teasingly…

"Stop rubbing it in! You're such a jerk!" Kagome exclaimed, flushed as she turned her nose up to him.

He couldn't contain the temporary smile that adorned his lips for an instant before melting back into the pale flesh of his monotonous façade.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said, and Kagome responded with a war-like cry of resign and annoyance.

_'How quickly here emotions change.' _He mused, watching as she giggled over the prizes beyond the thick glass barrier.

"Ne, Sesshoumaru, that's neat, isn't it?" She asked him, and he graced the small frog shaped toy a bored glance before turning once again from it, an air of pride about him.

"A toad." He spoke.

She huffed.

"You're no fun. It's a frog!" She said, but moved on to more impressive things instead.

He heard her mumbling something to herself, but didn't mind as his own mind wandered.

"It's perfect!" Kagome exclaimed, so loud and abruptly that he spun to face her almost automatically.

When he did, she bent protectively over her prize and eyed him suspiciously.

"You can't look, you know!" She cried out indignantly.

He didn't point out that over half the earned tickets were acquired by him.

"Happy birthday Souta!" Kagome cried out, grinning in glee as he tore at his presents, almost forgetting to blow out the candles.

"Did you make a wish, or can I make one instead?" She asked teasingly, and a few of Souta's younger playmates gave her awed glances at her 'wit'. Sesshoumaru awarded each one with a five minute, complimentary icy glare.

Souta rewarded her with the evil eye and fixed his honey orbs back on the chocolate cake. He seemed to be concentrating harder than necessary and when he finally broke eye contact with the smothered delight, he haughtily proclaimed that the 'wish was _occupied.'_

After which he continued opening his gifts at an alarming rate before calling the entire center of the cake - after all, it had his _name_ on it!

"Happy 10th birthday

**SOUTA!"**

This resulted in a prolonged argument which had only one kanji going to Souta and the rest of the cake equally divided.

"Parents these days." One child sighed dramatically, a slight lisp to her Japanese.

Kagome fell into a fit of giggles, and even Sesshoumaru seemed amused.

"So, are you going home now?" Kagome asked Sesshoumaru subtly, studying his face.

He looked back down at her, silent for a moment.

"Yes." He finally replied, his hair whipping in the wind.

They stood outside the game arcade.

"That's too bad." She said with a forced smile. "But thanks for coming! It was fun! And I got the best prize ever!"

He raised an eyebrow as if to ask - _'What?'_

She grinned and blushed, yanking out a pair of bracelets.

It was a simple, almost cheap looking contraption, the silver length knotted and beaded as decoration. A rectangular plate of metal hung from the supposed front (not even the length of Kagome's thumb), and on it was what appeared to be a pair of slightly intertwined stick figures.

"The man said that it was in Chinese characters. It means 'friend'." She explained brightly, nodding.

He accepted one and scrutinized it for a moment, finally looking back to her hopeful eyes and nodding - it was the extent of his gratitude, it seemed.

"I will cherish it." He said, and turned.

Kagome's smile widened.

"Okay." She said, laughing. "Are you going to wear it?" She asked teasingly.

He turned terrified eyes back on her, and she burst out laughing at his expression, which he had not been able to catch control of in time.


	31. Time

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

_September 15, 2004_

_Kagome walked down the near deserted street to get home. It was always like this when she neared the shrine. People were like that._

_Kagome tossed her head back to enjoy the cool mid-afternoon breeze, closing her eyes contentedly, listening to her shoes clap against the concrete._

_Wind whistled in her ears and puffed her hair back absurdly. The school girl uniform danced about her undeveloped hips._

_Her misted, cocoa-in-the-snow eyes fizzed with calmness, shooting root beer sparks out at the slightly gray world._

_Silence pervaded her senses, but Kagome wasn't disturbed. Sometimes silence was good..._

_But then, not when you could feel eyes upon your back, and hear the echoing of slightly muffled footsteps in your wake. Kagome was just about to whirl around when it happened..._

_GLOMP_

_Kagome yelled in fear and surprise as she tumbled to the ground, twisting to see the face of her predator._

"_Good afternoon, 'Gome!" Said the familiar voice in her ear. "Sorry if I scared you." As if it wasn't obvious!_

"_Eri! You don't sneak up on people like that!" Kagome tried to keep the sting out of her voice but adrenaline rushed through her veins and her heart was still pounding in her ears in a most annoying fashion._

"_Oh, Kagome! Don't be so paranoid!"_

_Eri was such a fool sometimes._

"_Yuri and Ayumi are here too. Hey didn't want to do the dirty work." Eri tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She spoke so casually. As if dirty work was the most natural thing in all the world._

_Kagome counted to ten and let out a gigantic sigh, massaging her eyes back from saucers to almonds._

'_Don't glare. They really didn't want to kill you. It's okay Kagome...'_

"_So, what's up?" She tried to phrase the question in the most laid back, forgiving way possible, but her tone gave away her annoyance._

_Of course, they were as oblivious as ever._

"_He's cheating on you Kagome." Was the solemn, sunken, matter-of-fact answer from Yuri._

"_Who is?" She acknowledged tiredly, carefully._

"_You know who!" Yuri exclaimed at the same time that Eri whispered -_

"_Inuyasha."_

_Kagome blinked, puzzled. What?!?_

"_We've been apart for quite a while. He's allowed to do what he wants. He's not cheating on me." Kagome huffed. Is this what they knocked ten years off her life for?_

"_Kagome! Don't back down!" Eri chastised._

"_It's okay to want him back." Ayumi spoke softly._

"_Don't fight it, Kagome! We know you! And because you're the best friend in the world..."_

_A dramatic sigh from the three..._

"_We've hashed it out already, and... The first step is to become friends again." Eri opened her eyes and a slow, enlightened smile spread across her lips._

"_Don't worry about a thing, Kagome-chan! You don't have to be sad anymore!" Ayumi giggled, hugging Kagome._

_Kagome, meanwhile, was saucer-eyed all over again, caught between being shocked and appalled at her friends train of thought..._

didn'tcheating

_September 17, 2004_

_Kagome listened absently to what the teacher was saying at the head of the class, staring into space..._

"_... This will most definitely be on your finals!" His voice rang out into her abstract thoughts._

_Kagome blinked awake and looked in surprise at his wide hand gestures and enthusiastic explanations. Had she just paced out during class?_

_Turning bewildered eyes over to her nearest friend - Eri - she was met with a suggestive wink and grin. Kagome wasn't sure whether she should blush or seethe._

_Her eyes found themselves flitting pleadingly to gentle Ayumi, who responded to her mental screaming much the same as Eri had._

_Kagome sighed and twisted back to her notebook, full of little scribbles and half notes..._

_Sesshoumaru wouldn't misunderstand her this drastically - he would never make her world such a mess with such a playful air!_

_A vision of his honey amber eyes, pale skin, muscular, lanky body, and long silver-gold hair fluttering in wind before the swelling sunset made her breath catch. A hesitant, awkward smile tugged at his lips in sync with her own growing smile, his tall frame and natural beauty hurling her back into her dream world again._

_Of course, that didn't go unnoticed by her friends, who took it much the wrong way..._

_And, of course, it didn't go unnoticed by the annoyed teacher, who promptly called her on it before asking he curtly to answer the question. Which she didn't know in the wake of moon-texture eyes..._

_Later on, that same day_

_Kagome finally complied to her friends ragging, walking briskly over to catch Inuyasha before he left. She had wanted to make amends and be friends with him again anyways._

"_Inuyasha!" She called out cheerily, jogging up to catch him. He visibly tensed, but waited for her._

"_Inuyasha." She smiled again, slowing into step with him._

_He nodded nervously in return, too alienated to manage a glare... Which was frightening, when you thought about it._

"_You wanna be friends again?" She cut right to the chase. Maybe it was her natural character that allowed her the courage to plunge so readily into such a remark and suggestion, or maybe it was her heart going to the defense, cold steel masking her true emotions as she put on a cheery façade for the occasion._

_In all cases, he blinked in puzzlement, completely taken by surprise. He turned darkened honey eyes on her, and she hummed friendlily into the chilled air. She no longer saw Sesshoumaru behind Inuyasha's expressive eyes._

"_Eh..." He began, and Kagome's eyes automatically clouded over._

"_No? Would Kikyou be... So upset?" Her voice was almost a whimper, getting softer with each word, but gaining some self-preserving, numbing strength that she tried to bring to life in her voice as she felt her momentum leave her with a 'whoosh.'_

"_No!" Was his automatic response - almost a plea. "It's fine. I don't mind..." He blushed prettily at the words..._

"_So we're friends again?" She smiled happily, all the hurt melting to swirl back down her throat._

_He nodded, embarrassed, and turned slightly away... She grinned and managed a breathtaking smile before turning to skip away._

'_I wonder what Sesshoumaru will think?' She wondered to herself, her eyes alight with happiness. 'H won't mind!' She assured herself, smiling._

"_We can all be friends." She spoke determined to herself._

_Soon she had three friends on her tail once more._

"_Step one, accomplished!" Eri exclaimed, hopping excitedly._

"_Step two: Make him fall in love with you." Ayumi trilled..._

_This was their master plan?_

_Kagome rolled her eyes but bared their ramblings, favoring an image of the white clad figure saluted by smoldering flames of the waning sun..._

_October 31, 2004_

It had been over a month since Inuyasha and Kagome had become friends again and since Kagome had realized her not-so-new interest in his older brother...

Inuyasha was strangely mature when she spoke to him nowadays, and he once told her that he was relieved to hear her voice after speaking so much to the 'clay pot devoid of all emotions' as Kikyou had so meanly been labeled (can you guess by which three individuals?)

So, Inuyasha had kindly been helping her steadily gain the favor of his brother, reporting strange, out-of-the-blue smiles and spacey-ness while Eri, Yuri and Ayumi still plotted to get Inuyasha and Kagome together and Inuyasha still suffered happily with Kikyou.

At the moment, Kagome was retrieving her Halloween costume from her closet, grinning as she anticipated the chilly jaunt that stretched before her this evening.

She would dress as a fairy. A fairy of several different shades. Like a human, only, different.

Kagome smiled as she stripped down and dressed up.

_Later on, that same evening..._

"Trick or treat!" They called out at once. A smile and a handful of candy rewarded their effortless charm and cuteness, and Kagome smiled happily as she skipped down the steps to go to the next house.

Sesshoumaru acted as cold chaperone while Inuyasha, Eri, Yuri, Ayumi and Hojo tumbled down the steps after Kagome, giggling madly.

Amongst the chaos of the little traveling party, Hojo was having silent, hidden, slightly perverted thoughts while admiring Kagome's cute costume...

Inuyasha was wondering whether he should wonder about Kikyou, gabber on with Kagome, or wolf down his candy while Sesshoumaru was tethered by pride and would not lower himself to exposing his sweet tooth in public...

Eri, Yuri and Ayumi were plotting quietly in the background, developing their 'get Kagome and Inuyasha together' scheme...

Sesshoumaru fought down a smile while Kagome grinned and told him all about what had happened that day in the classroom and afterwards...

Of course, everybody knew about the 'get Kagome and Inuyasha together' scheme, but they were enjoying it in silence, savoring it like a melting mint on the tongue.

Kagome couldn't be sure if Sesshoumaru was amused, but his amber eyes took on an odd glitter and he turned his head to scrutinize the ceiling when Kagome had giggled out the story in hysterics - and she MIGHT have seen a smile touch his lips for an instant.

Inuyasha - well, his reaction was clear. He was boyishly amused, bashing the three girls for being so naive and ridiculous - only laying off when Kagome had hit him playfully across the head. Then he had devised a counter-plan - to get Kagome and Sesshoumaru together. Thus far, his plan was more successful.

Of course, Hojo didn't know. But _nobody_ knew why he was even in the loop in the first place. Weren't Eri, Yuri and Ayumi trying to hook Kagome up with Hojo a while back as well?

"Ai is such a ditzy girl!" Kagome grinned, her eyes shimmering beneath the moon's gleam. "She's so stupid!"

"And she's such a slut!" Yuri broke from their conversation to add into the remark disdainfully...

"Trick or treat!" Rang out down the street.

_November 17, 2004_

Kagome grinned at Sesshoumaru as she dragged him through the store.

"Red is for passion and love! Don't be ridiculous..." Kagome was saying. "You certainly don't need good luck for that!"

"I know what red stands for." Sesshoumaru grumbled absently...

"Se-shou-ma-ru!" Kagome emphasized each syllable -

"What?" He snapped irritably.

"Don't be such a baby!" She giggled. "If you want a pair of red sweat pants that badly, just get them!"

"I don't need red sweat pants!"

"Then what are we arguing about?"

"You're acting like a child, again. You know nothing of Feng Shui!"

"You're so weird!"

"I don't need good luck in love."

"My point exactly."

"Hn."

"Just saved you some yen, ne?" Kagome grinned.

"I made the decision..."

_November 23, 2004_

_Dear Diary -_

_I've collected some interesting quotes, all coming from the mouth of ours truly!_

"How do you feel about public hot springs, Sesshoumaru?" (Okay, this one was me...)

I think he might have blushed!

He's a traditionalist though. He said so -smiles-

_November 26, 2004_

"It's unhealthy to be yelling at inanimate objects."

That was when I through a wooden spoon across the room and told it that it was an incompetent fool.

I sounded just like Sesshoumaru!

_November 27, 2004_

"... He has a sweet tooth."

Revelation moment! Of course, it came from Inuyasha's mouth. Quotes are fun anyway!

_November 28, 2004_

I bought Sesshoumaru those red sweat pants.

I don't know how we got into that conversation, but he's so cute when he's seething!

All in all, a rather interesting time.

Talk to you later for now!


	32. Destiny and Snowfall

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

_December 24, 2004_

One thing you learned about Kagome when you met her was that her eye color was very indefinite and prone to change as easily as her mood.

When she was happy, her eyes fizzed and bubbled with the brightest autumn color, dancing and crackling and swirling with contagious and unconquerable joy.

When she was sad, her eyes were darker than black coffee, still as a ring of stale substance forgotten at the bottom of your coffee mug since morning.

When she was content, her eyes were the color of gentle bark, jagged only with flitting emotions of deeper but abandoned importance.

When she was nostalgic or lonely, her eyes were softened caramel, unseeing and distant, beautiful but untouchable. Untouched.

When she was angry syrupy distaste swelled like molasses beneath the cold, stern eyes and stared you down while she was ether painfully quiet or deafeningly loud.

When she was hurt... This was the worst color. This was the color of the sidewalk after an assault of harsh and unforgiving rainfall. Muddy, ugly, and self-demeaning. Even while she told you not to blame yourself.

Kagome was an odd creature.

She could hide nothing, and she could not lie.

Thus, when given a Christmas present, you could automatically determine whether you had succeeded or failed terribly and to what extent.

It was the reaction of her eyes that Sesshoumaru was suspiciously waiting for while she impatiently peeled the paper from the moderately sized box wrapped in blinding crimson paper and adorned with a matching (gigantic) ruby red bow.

He dared not blink, and he never ceased to stare while she pulled out the object within the disguising box.

White - fluffy - gold bead eyes - fuzzy silver wings - iridescent flames licking its heels...

Kagome's eyes sparkled and a smoldering color of golden brown when her eyes alighted on the gift - the winged dog.

He knew he had pleased her.

She could not lie.

He did not need to convince his edgy nerves to any further degree as a bundle of giggling happiness flung herself into his arms and thanked him a thousand and one times for the thoughtful gift...

It was the same one she had been looking at in the store only a week ago!

Did she think he did not know that already?

Foolish girl!

Kagome's mother snapped pictures while she danced about the room with the stuffed animal, as if all her life (instead of a prancing pony) she had been waiting for the day a flying stuffed dog would be delivered on her doorstep. Or something.

Indeed. It was every young girl's wish.

The look that lighted her eyes when he invited her to take a stroll with him beneath the hazy silver-gray sky, however, was more priceless than, perhaps, even the entire roll of film containing her ecstatic behavior upon receiving a mere addition to an already gigantic plushy collection.

She smiled as she donned her winter coat, warm cocoa eyes hidden by fluttering black eyelashes, dark pink lips against her darker complexion upturned in sincere contentment...

He checked himself when she took his hand, making sure he did not reveal an unpleasant emotion on his face...

Puffs of smoky steam dispersed into the chilled evening air as they trudged down the deserted streets.

Kagome was decked out in a pair of brilliantly red "Christmas-jeans" and a contrastingly black sweater decorated by bells and Christmas tree ornaments. Beneath it was a glittery green semi-shirt, the sleeves two fingers wide and rather flimsy. He couldn't fathom how she wasn't freezing even at this instant, but Kagome had always been a creature to wonder over.

Especially considering her navy blue "winter coat" she had oh-so-fashionably set over the aforementioned black sweater. That alone was enough to make you wonder. But the streets were deserted, so it was okay. Maybe.

Their breath puffed out in contented white wisps. The light snow blanket crunched beneath their boots (Kagome's were black with jingle bells attached to a red ribbon around her ankles.)

Her hair was tossed by the Zephyr every so often, the lengthening black locks frolicking in the cotton-thick air. Caressing her shoulder blades. Her hair no longer fluttered around her neck and brushed her shoulder, but lay across her collarbone.

Fourteen. She was fourteen now. He forgot that sometimes, but he had been to her birthday party.

"It's so quiet!" She exclaimed, then, bringing her arms up around herself, she followed the comment up with - "I'm so cold."

He grinned.

Her eyes were beginning to spark from jagged, contented bark to sleepy, dark cinnamon.

"Do you want to go home?" He asked, but she automatically and frantically shook her head 'no.'

"I want to stay." She said. And her eyes flew quickly to stubborn, shimmering Root Beer- chocolate in as fast as he could blink.

As they neared the park, Kagome slowed down suggestively. He followed her example absently, staring into the sky.

"Isn't it pretty without as many bright lights?" Kagome asked. "I sometimes wish I could go back in time. When it wasn't so modernized and. Bright. Artificial bright."

He nodded. It was what he wanted too. A deep tug - almost a longing. He... Longed for another time of starlight and moonlight and candles.

"Yes." He vocalized his thrumming, swelling opinion. Shaking his head, he swept the strange sense of nostalgia away.

They stopped near the swing set.

Kagome collapsed into one of the flexible swing seats after brushing off the powder snow that had found a home there.

Sesshoumaru followed suit.

Pushing herself back, she held the position for a moment, staring up at the crescent.

She let herself go. _Creeeeeeaaaaaaak._

Kagome smiled and shut her eyes.

_Swoosh._

Sesshoumaru watched her carefully.

How many stars do you think there are?" She asked suddenly. "In the sky, I mean."

He didn't seem startled by the question. Glancing up at the sky, he hesitated in silence for a fleeting moment.

In the moment Sesshoumaru had opened his mouth and seemed about to answer - the sound came.

_Crunch. Crunch. HEY! Crash. KAGOME! Crunch-crunch-crunch. Want a peppermint? Yes! Grin._

Sesshoumaru _did_ seem alarmed when Inuyasha and Souta came crashing down the street, Souta practically hanging off an agitated-looking Inuyasha, who was eternally the subject of Souta's greatest affections.

"Want a peppermint you guys?" Souta brandished around the foreign sweet with a vigor known only to those who were experiencing, for the first time in their life, a half piggy-back ride.

Souta laughed, and it was obvious that at some point, there had also been homemade mint chocolate to show for as well.

Kagome looked exasperated for a moment, then shook her head and tackled Souta for the remaining sweets.

Inuyasha stepped back, crossing his arms across his chest and scowling down at the writhing boy.

"Souta! Inuyasha! I told you guys not to bother them!" Kagome's mom was smiling widely as she said this, so the sternness did not extend far enough to upset them.

Kagome's mother loved noise and chaos, if only to organize it and be amused for its duration.

Grandpa was in Mrs. Higurashi's tow, grumbling slightly but probably appreciative of the cool winter wind after the unbearable heat of the house as its kitchen produced a thousand oven-cooked dishes in a single day, affectively reducing everyone to puddles of sweat.

Thankfully, they had opened the back door around noon so the house would be aired out by the time Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru came.

Inutaisho was going to come as well, but unfortunately, he was pulled away by business (even Inuyasha admitted that this was the first time it had ever happened.)

Thus, they had eaten, eaten, eaten, opened presents, eaten, looked in stockings, eaten, eaten, chatted, and so forth. A fun day, all around.

Kagome had kept the silly fuzz of a stuffed dog under her arm the entire time.

Now the entire family and guest unit was assembled at the park, Kagome glaring at Souta playfully while she swung out of his reach with the candy, Souta reacting accordingly, Inuyasha scowling in ruffled disdain, Sesshoumaru watching on in familiar amusement, Mrs. Higurashi complaining about the danger of the situation, and Grandpa giving a history lesson about how the peppermint was... Created? Discovered?

It began to snow heavier as the next half hour passed by. Kagome's mother and grandfather had headed back up to the house after an understanding that the party had to move back up to the house before it got too cold.

Sesshoumaru was now lounging on a swing, observing the snow contrasting against the gray-black sky.

Inuyasha was characteristically glowering from the top of the slide, where the thick arch protected him from the imminent snowflakes.

Kagome was chattering uncontrollably about... Everything. As usual.

Souta was having the time of his life and served as the entertainment of the late night, dancing around and trying to catch snowdrops in his mouth. Almost falling on his rear in the process.

It was only when the snow started accumulating and _gusting_ that it became too cold to stick around.

The hike back to the shrine was interesting with Sesshoumaru and Kagome steering clear of the peppermint-hyper Souta and Inuyasha trying to escape the whirlwind that was constantly circling his legs, telling him about. Everything. It must have run in the family.

Upon ascending the steps, Kagome's mother told them to come in and drink some hot cocoa. This set Souta off again - thankfully towards the house.

Kagome entered and grinned up at Sesshoumaru, then at Inuyasha.

She threw aside her puffy coat but kept the sweater on as she accepted the warm liquid from her mother's hands.

Steam rose and fogged up the glass as the occupants of the shrine complex huddled around the table and spoke about. Everything.

The snow had turned into a swift blizzard and Kagome's mom insisted that the boys spent the night in the warmth of the Higurashi shrine.

After an intense glaring match, it was deciding that Inuyasha should get to bunk with Souta... And Sesshoumaru would sleep on the living room couch.

The lights had all been turned out and the house had fallen silent (except for the occasional exclamation from Souta's bedroom) - Sesshoumaru was sleepily staring at the sheeted ice on the window, and beyond that, the sky that was considerably lighter than the darkness he was currently shrouded in, when he heard the sound of soft footsteps down the stairs.

He was not startled enough to shoot up, but he did lazily eye the girl as she walked around his makeshift bed and struggled through the thick darkness to determine if he was asleep or not.

"Kagome?" The question was quiet and steady - as Sesshoumaru always was, but without the gentle ring it sometimes held when he faced her.

He was tired and his companion was presumably looking for a late night discuss-deep-philosophy-with partner... And Sesshoumaru wasn't sure if he felt up to it.

"You're awake?" Kagome whispered.

He nodded stiffly - then, realizing the girl was still finding the medium of transparency in the blackness, followed it up with a sure "Yes."

Kagome licked her lips and her eyes flew suddenly to the out looking window. Sesshoumaru was alarmed for an instant, thinking she had seen something, but quickly realized that she was simply finding something to do while he was sprawled across the only available sitting space.

With a sigh he checked to make sure she didn't hear, he sat up and scooted over. He supposed he would catch up on beauty sleep when he got back home. Apparently Kagome was a bit of an insomniac.

She sat down gratefully but still did not meet his eyes.

Deep philosophy discussion - now - he thought.

"Thanks for the stuffed animal." She said suddenly, and he was taken aback. Was she easing into it or was she truly just looking for a light chat while she tried to find a yawn?

His mother had sometimes come into his room late at night - especially when it snowed, and on full moons, because those were her favorite "Enchanted Things" - and asked him if he personally thought (now don't mind that I'm your mother - you're a strong boy with important opinions) about history and myth and dragons and animals that stood a hundred feet tall, protecting an exotic kingdom in an alternated dimension.

She asked him about fairytales and the Snow's Original Home and if there was a princess who lived on the moon with a sweet little rabbit... Mother had loved rabbits.

He was snapped out of his memories when Kagome spoke again: "I love white dogs. They seem so... Pretty. Surreal. Do you think?"

'Mother.' He sighed mentally. 'Discussion on the validity of magic and otherworldly attributes.'

He found himself answering thoughtfully, however, and nodding in reply to her question.

"They are." A ping of familiarity.

"Do you believe in destiny?" A flicker at the corner of his eye urged him to turn his head to the window. He could have sworn... The well house had flickered bubblegum-cotton candy in response to her question.

"Yes." He said simply, eyeing the smaller structure warily - suspiciously.

She nodded.

"Good night." She said then, abruptly.

He blinked.

"Good night." He agreed.

He turned over and disregarded the well's strange 'reply' to... What was it? Destiny. Discussions of destiny. Beneath the light of the moon and the pristine perfection of the winter snow.

He fell asleep before the pitter pattering of feet had lit upon the top step.

Destiny.


	33. Numai Tu: Only You

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

_January 15, 2004_

_/Hello, greetings, it's me, an outlaw/_

The storm crackled outside the window. Sesshoumaru sighed and trained his attention back to his school work. Claustrophobia suffocated him in the large room. He stood abruptly and decided to take a walk.

Impatiently he yanked the hair band out of his wheat-silver hair and let it caress his shoulders in a normally soothing fashion.

The wind whipping in his face was far more fulfilling.

He glanced up at the stormy sky and didn't bother calling out a farewell to his busied and aloof family.

'_Perhaps I could visit Kagome's family. It is far happier.'_

His hand raked through the invisible knots in the platinum sheet of perfection as he growled at himself and his traitorous thoughts. _'No, because Inuyasha and Father and I belong nowhere.'_

_/ I ask you, my love, to accept happiness. /_

Kagome tossed at the jump of thunder. She felt uneasy. It wasn't just her run-of-the-mill jitteriness round black clouds and heavy rain and stark lightening and booming sky-roars… She felt a tug. The tug of someone's heart, it seemed.

Crawling out of bed, she bit down on the side of her cheek, glancing at the door wonderingly. Her mother would not let her out at this hour, in this weather.

Kagome had never had to sneak out before.

Kagome had never wanted to. Especially on a nasty night such as this. But… It was only 6:45. She could be back…

Her hands circled hr neck and pulled her hair up in a nervous ponytail. She exchanged her optimistic short sleeved T-shirt for a long sleeved sweater-type with a jacket thrown over the top.

And her mom, who was in her room, did not see Kagome rush toward a centerpiece that was alerting all her seeming buried instincts.

_/ Hello, it's me, Picasso; I sent you a beep, and I'm brave /_

_/ But you should know that I'm not asking for anything from you. /_

Would the sky never calm? He stuffed his hands in his pockets and contemplated the gray pool swimming above him.

But it always felt like there was a light at the end of the tunnel. A sweet light that always smiled. But it was a thought that faded as soon as it surfaced, and it disappeared back into the ugly cloud coverage promptly.

He sighed as the rain turned to ice and his breath turned to smoke before him. The stars would not come out tonight. Sometimes the light became shut out so rudely you were caught completely off guard.

Kicking a lost stone, he listened for city sounds. But he was in Kagome's territory now, and everything was peaceful and smooth, even during a thunderstorm.

Sometimes he expected flowers to grow in her footsteps. He could almost remember a time when they did.

He tossed his head disdainfully as his thoughts led him away from his current predicament.

"I should go home." He sighed. To the sharp-tongued Inuyasha and the seat the painfully reserved Taisho-sama.

The hail pounded harder in protest. He spotted the park up ahead. Dare he seek comfort from a tree?

Resigned, he walked forward, ignoring the brilliant glistening of light at the very edge of his vision where the mighty shrine sat. Waiting to be seen and enjoyed.

_/ You want to leave but you don't want to take me /_

_/ You don't want to take me… /_

_/ Your face and the love from the linden trees /_

_/ And I remember your eyes. /_

Kagome almost tumbled down the steps, searching for something she somehow knew was there.

Shaking dark strands out of her eyes and wiping a damp olive-toned hand across her eyes, she continued on. She wished she had brought an umbrella, but she doubted it would have held out under the ice shooting from the heavens.

Her walk turned into a jog as she glanced sharply back at her house. She hoped her mother didn't notice her absence.

She almost slipped on the ice and cursed at her own inconvenient clumsiness.

And then she saw him. He perched on a swing, wearing his school uniform it seemed. His hair dangled in wet dreadlocks round his face, and still he was beautiful.

He glanced up when she stepped from the asphalt to the sidewalk to the grass to the gravel.

She looked at him curiously and took another step forward.

Always another step forward.

He nodded at her in acknowledgement, beckoning her to join him. She did appreciatively, sitting on a swing beside him. She smiled when he looked at her, but when she was unaware, he glanced at her solemn face.

"My mother doesn't know I'm here." She poke suddenly, and then fell silent. Lightening flashed through the transparent rime. Kagome fought not to jump as thunder followed it with a drawn out purr.

_/ I call you to tell you what I feel, right now /_

_/ Hello, my love, it's me, your happiness. /_

"I did not tell my ignorant brother, nor my careless father where my destination was, either." He agreed almost too long to properly contribute to the conversation that was supposedly dropped.

She nodded and her hand itched to take his.

A sigh shuddered through his idle body, and he watched it steam into eternity before him. The white wisps looped away into an abyss formed in the pinnacle of the sky, unknown to humans.

"I thought I would find you here." She said, offering an "I-want-nothing-in-return" smile.

He knew she could sense his appreciation through his cold façade.

"I thought I was looking for something." A smile threatened to ruin his reputation as he added in a near laugh, "a light." At the end of the tunnel. A smiling light that reappeared with your face.

She blinked in confusion but did not question him. She was very wise.

"I'm glad I found you." She said instead, this time taking his hand. He did not protest. Sometimes he thought he should.

"My cat, Bouyo, was anxious to stay inside today. I'm so silly for not taking the hint. I didn't even notice the clouds on the horizon…" She laughed gently at herself. It seemed like a situation to be reverent during. The storm added a sense of quiet voice significance to the world.

He was glad for her simple, mild talk. It soothed his from his stress every time. Sometimes he thought it shouldn't.

"Do you want to go to my house?" She asked, forgetting completely that her excursion had been in secret in the first place.

He shook his head silently.

"No. It's getting late. I still have things I need to do." She looked down.

"Perhaps tomorrow we will do something." He seemed to muse. Another grin parted her lips. He admired her lips, though sometimes he thought he ought not.

_/ I sent you a beep, and I'm brave /_

_/ But you should know that I'm not asking for anything from you. /_

They both stood at the same moment, their souls tamed and their odd instincts settled.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Kagome asked. He nodded, his eyes flashing with an amiable light. Though - hers were always filled with light. Because her eyes were _the_ light. The one at the end of the tunnel.

She turned to go and he unconsciously reached out to grasp her jacket. He jumped at his own movement, but his hand was unwilling to let her go.

Still, he met her frazzled cocoa orbs with confident indifference, a shield flying up to protect his vulnerable emotions.

She let a tolerant, happy spark puddle in her eyes as she stepped back into his immediate vicinity.

He was surprised when he had to consciously battle a disturbingly familiar possessive growl from his throat at her compliance.

Suddenly he closed the distance between them and embraced her tightly. Unbeknownst to them, his eyes flittered with crimson for a single instant as he felt her against him… _once again…_

It seemed suspiciously like de ja vu. He swallowed dryly as he felt her return the endearing gesture.

He was so startled when he felt her weight shift into her toes as she leaned up - he almost sprung backwards. She froze when he tensed, and he let himself relax reassuringly. But she was dissuaded and left stripped of any confidence.

When her lips touched his skin, they met his cheek, not suffice to a beast's unnatural hunger within him. He closed his eyes and let himself enjoy it, and then he felt her pull away bashfully.

She looked down in embarrassment. She had, after all, just initiated a kiss with Sesshoumaru. She spun and danced out of his reach before he could pull her back again.

_/ You want to leave but you don't want to take me /_

_/ Your face and the love from the linden trees /_

_/ And I remember your eyes. /_

"Goodnight, Light." He called softly after her, and he was surprised when she peeked over her shoulder as if to check to make sure she heard him right.

He shook his head at his own foolishness and tossed her a smile before turning away himself.

The hail reverted back to rain and accompanied him with numerous chastisements back to his father's house.

Still, he could not stop smiling, despite himself and his frostbit shields.


	34. Silver and Gold

**Innocent Kisses in the Rain**

_February 14, 2005_

It would be a long day, Sesshoumaru decided as the final bell rang and the teacher's desk remained unoccupied.

Incompetent educators on Valentines Day was a pain.

The echo of a small gift resounded on the hardwood desk before him.

It was a tiny white box, crisscrossed with golden ribbon and attached to it was a delicate little card, bordered in pale rose pink.

He did not bother to say thank you, or even look into the haughty girls eyes. She spun around with a repulsive giggle and pranced back to her friends.

He watched the plain white socks pulled up smoothly to the knee and the uniform black sandal-shoes move out of his direct vision. He did not follow them.

Thick silver lashes drooped heavily over the amber-sun eyes. So bored, so tired. Folding his hands quietly, he imagined that the clatter of candy, gifts and chocolate was rather soothing hail, falling ice on a cold summer night in which he did not have to deal with tardy teachers and foolish high school females.

Kagome blushed as she stumbled down the halls, feeling an uncanny urge to tug her skirt down.

The boys were looking at her strangely, and she mused on how some of their hands seemed to be itching to touch - to receive a present, perhaps? Or to practice their pervert-ladies-man routine?

She, in fact, was carrying only two gifts. One for Inuyasha, her best friend, and one for Sesshoumaru… Her secret crush.

Shaking her head, trying to contain the tomato blush, she hurried past the small groups of students who were chatting and staring and laughing and exchanging. She practically sprinted into the classroom, sliding the shoji-style door behind her in relief.

"You act like there's stalkers out there." A girl who was erasing the board winked. Kagome laughed with her and walked up to join her.

"My skirt feels inches shorter than it normally does." Kagome confessed, laughing with her.

"I know what you mean. My boyfriend's been acting like a body guard all day. He can be laid-back and all over the place all year round, and then Valentines Day shows up and he becomes as possessive as… who knows what!" She scrunched her face up with a look akin to impatience.

Kagome tried to roll her eyes sympathetically, but she couldn't move her eyes around the daydream that was developing inside her head that completely distracted her from whatever the girl said next.

"Higurashi-san, are you listening?" The other girl, being the forgiving type, showed her concern rather than anger, and touched her arm.

"Yes, I'm okay. I was just thinking!" Kagome laughed nervously and swiped furiously at the black board. Though Sasumo-san was not one to grin broadly in revelation, a small knowing smile slid across her lips and she brushed a strand of russet-black behind her ear in contemplation before turning back to her work silently.

"You're a deep thinker Kagome. It's early." A slightly whining voice stated over her shoulder. She tensed for a moment and clamped down on her first reaction to spin-and-slap-in-surprise.

"Inuyasha!" She chastised instead, glaring menacingly at him. "What are you doing?"

Sasumo-san moved away from the squabbling friends considerately, humming a tune under her breath.

"Did you bring me chocolate?" Halfway between innocence and mischief, Inuyasha smirked down at the enraged Kagome.

"You're so… impolite!" Then, before Inuyasha adopted a more defensive expression in place of playfulness, she added, "of course I did. You can have it when you apologize."

Looking shocked, Inuyasha reared back and blinked at her. Looking bewildered, he spoke experimentally: "Sorry, Kagome."

'Haven't you ever apologized to anyone before?' Kagome thought, shocked. Then a smile spread across her face. She felt elated and progressive, having taught Inuyasha something knew that day. However pitiful it was that he'd never had to apologize for being mean.

Skipping back to her desk, Kagome retrieved the sweet-smelling treat and deposited it in Inuyasha's extended hands. He looked at it greedily, then turned up sly eyes.

"You want me to give Sesshoumaru his too? I wouldn't mind. I should make up my rude comment to you." Kagome was silent for a moment, then the entire classroom jumped at the resounding thud that was Kagome tackling Inuyasha to the ground, sitting on his back, and ranting on to him about how she'd give Sesshoumaru his on her own, thank you very much! --- And don't take advantage of anything, by the way, it's rude!

Kagome yawned widely as she descended the steps. She gently fondled the gift she had made for Sesshoumaru. A special gift.

She heard the uneven fall of footsteps behind her and recognized it to be Inuyasha. She quickly pulled her hand from the object, as if she had been caught with a hand in the cookie jar or had been burned.

She plastered a bright smile on her face and waited to greet Inuyasha as he galloped up beside her.

"So, what have you got for my older brother?" Inuyasha asked absently, not bothering to say hello. His hands struggled to contain the candy he had hoarded through the day. Enough candy to feed a country, it seemed.

"Good afternoon Inuyasha." Kagome nodded at him while her brown eyes sparkled. "What I got for your brother is none of your business." It was hard to tell if she was teasing or being serious.

Inuyasha studied her face for a moment, and finally decided to let the issue drop.

"I see you've had a successful day." Kagome regarded him and his stash with a wry expression. Predicting her intentions, Inuyasha huddled over his sugary supply and eyed her with a combination of suspicion and weariness.

"Give me a break." She rolled her eyes and pranced ahead. She looked around for a moment, searching for something.

"Where is Sesshoumaru?"

"Here." His voice, characteristically cold and cynical, was a welcome addition to her hectic day. She spun on her heel to greet him.

"Good afternoon! I'm glad you're here! I have something to give you. I've had guys hound me all day. It's been weird." She smiled widely, settling for a rambling approach. His eyes flashed for an instant before he nodded in deceptive passiveness.

An awkward moment passed and Inuyasha finally got a clue.

"Well, guys… I'll see you whenever. Don't stay out too long, Sesshoumaru." A wink and a grin, and Inuyasha galloped off in a different direction.

Kagome swallowed dryly and tried not to distract herself by looking after Inuyasha.

Finally, she found an 'ease-in' conversation.

"Hey, where's all your winnings?" She was genuinely curious. Sesshoumaru seemed the type of guy to get the cream of the high school crop of candy.

He looked at her, studying her with a wry expression. Finally, seeming to come to a decision in her favor, he tossed his platinum mane of moonlight and smirked, observing the dancing cirrus.

"I sold it." She almost fell over, and his smile widened in mounting amusement. "I sold it, for ten-thousand yen."

"That's a bit of yen for some candy…" She said hesitantly.

"It was a fair amount of merchandise. Only after I sold it did another female offer double the price." He looked frustrated, his brow furrowing irritably.

Kagome tried not to laugh helplessly for his predicament.

"So… are you walking me home?" She asked shyly. His light eyes flickered to her and scrutinized her so that she felt like sprinting away. Or drawing closer. Like a moth to a flame.

"Of course. I must not give Inuyasha the satisfaction of seeing this Sesshoumaru obey him in any minor way." But his eyes narrowed gently, and she felt he might have more motivation than that.

She blushed and looked away, trying to ease the sense of nakedness that was falling over her in his presence.

"My birthday is in a couple months." She commented, looking into the cerulean-amethyst sky to distract herself from his sunset eyes.

"Yes." It was a word without description; he was merely agreeing with her. He asked for nothing, offered nothing.

"I'll turn fourteen." She inwardly cringed. It seemed so young when spoken aloud. But he seemed unaffected. Perhaps it was a sign, that he harbored no feelings for her after all. She shook her head, banishing the despair with a flourish of courage. She had to tell him anyway.

He remained silent until they finally reached the park near her house, and she could see in the near distance the ascension of the shrine steps.

He turned to leave, uttering a soft, non-committal good-bye. She sputtered after him, grabbing for cloth.

He stopped when she found the white cuff of the dress sleeve. He looked at her, and his eyes revealed nothing. She felt her power draining away, and almost fled. If it weren't for the press of cotton urgently against her hip, she might have turned.

"Sesshoumaru… I still haven't given you the present I got - I made for you. For Valentines Day." She looked down and struggled with her voice. Deciding to make herself busy, she fumbled with the gift in her book bag. She felt his eyes stripping her down, and squared her jaw.

"Here." She offered hastily, pushing the silver and gold teddy bear into his hands roughly, making to spin away from him. It was his turn to lunge after her, catching her by the sleeve as well. She bowed her head in humiliation. It seemed like such a silly gift now.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, hating herself for the trembling note and the promise of tears in her eyes.

"Thank you." He responded, disregarding her apology.

She blinked and straightened. "Do you like it?" She asked carefully, as if pressing a kitten for wounds. His hand found her black hair, and he hesitantly touched her.

"Yes." He said, and stepped back unobtrusively.

She licked her lips and twirled slowly to look at him.

"I'm glad for our friendship, Sesshoumaru." She was beating around the bush, but at least she was beating.

His eyes slid down to the significant gift suggestively. "I harbor… special feelings for you as well, Kagome. Please contemplate the seeming impossibility of a relationship, however. In the near future, it will be illegal. Illegal for us to be anything but friends." His eyes narrowed, as if he was having trouble accepting the fact he 'liked' a girl who was still in the junior high, about to go into high school while he was about to graduate.

"… Sesshoumaru." She chewed on her lip, reaching out to touch the hand-made bear's ears. One was silver and one was gold. Shiny black eyes gleamed a her mockingly. "I don't have a solution." She confessed.

He nodded.

"I do not have one, either." And he withdrew from her, froze for a moment, leaned forward and kissed her cheek - dangerously close to her soft lips, and swooped away gracefully. He was like a bird, elegant feathers centimeters from a surface of water, and never touching. A breath of wind. The lick of flame so close you felt burned, but were only uncomfortably warm from the proximity.

Sesshoumaru retreated. " - Sesshoumaru?" She asked suddenly, and he slowed.

"Yes?" He asked, his voice once again painfully monotonous.

"Is anything going to… change?" She inquired, caught between stepping forward and moving back. He looked back at her over his shoulder, liquid honey regarding her. He made her feel beautiful.

"We will have to see, Kagome." And he smiled at her.

It was the last time for several years… that she would witness his rare smile.


	35. The Butterfly

_March 13, 2005_

The house was quiet. It always was. Sesshoumaru sighed, and his eyes once more strayed to the small calendar on his bedroom wall. "_The world is cold and grey, But still we have the butterflies To chase our cares away." _Biting on his tongue, he cursed haiku for always being so eerily correct.

March thirteenth. Tomorrow was White Day. Kagome would be so upset if Inuyasha brought her a return gift and Sesshoumaru didn't. His honey amber eyes narrowed as he followed the searing shots of black pepper in his eyes from staring at the light too long, and remembered the smug smirk on his little brother's face as he traipsed confidently into the house earlier today, waving around a little doll that would ensnare Kagome's adoration as simply as the sun seized the night. Tossing restlessly, Sesshoumaru struggled to clamp down onto the inevitable bullet.

If Sesshoumaru gave Kagome a gift, the school would be maliciously gleeful and-or murderously jealous, neither of which sounded particularly optimistic. On the other hand, if Sesshoumaru didn't give her a gift, and she got that look in her eye -

Cringing, he rolled out of bed decisively. That would settle it. He would drag his moronic brother with him as well, if only to work his anger off on. Throwing a last glare at his springy calendar, he flicked off the overhead light and headed towards his brother's bedroom.

"A traditional gift." Sesshoumaru argued heatedly, almost hissing through his teeth.

"Girls like original things." Inuyasha countered deftly, crossing his arms and watching his older brother carefully.

"I'm sure you would know." He spat, and then added: "Are you aware of how White Day came about, anyway?"

"The legend, you mean?" Inuyasha grinned. "A legend is an aged lie." Sesshoumaru's fingers tightened on the wheel and he glowered at his arrogant sibling.

"Marshmallows or white chocolate. That is the extent of my generosity."

"Kagome will love you." Inuyasha's voice danced with playful sarcasm, sparking like his fiery eyes, which were the color of dull metal gold.

The shop was almost empty. Of people and product.

"So much for traditional shit. All of that is gone." Inuyasha stood still for a moment, then clapped his elder brother heartily on the back. "Hell, Sesshoumaru! You're _not_ the only alien bastard out there!"

Sesshoumaru growled, along with the woman who was behind the desk. At that, Inuyasha jumped, spinning around to face her.

"I've still got a chocolate-shaping kit, young man!" She rasped, "and you'd do best to remember that!"

Inuyasha blinked, and looked about to retort, when an older man walked into the front room.

"Almost closing time, kids, better hit the road." He eyed them warily, and moved to stand beside his wife. "You from these parts?"

"No." Inuyasha retorted, running his nails through a knot in his long hair. "We're from the wealthier side of town."

"Brother." Sesshoumaru warned, eyes narrowing.

"I would have thought!" Squawked the woman. "Rich people get old fast! Look at that - that white hair!" She glared heatedly at Inuyasha, not even sparing a glance at the slightly taken aback Sesshoumaru, whose hand moved immediately to his silver crowned head, stopping halfway to preserve his dignity.

"People aren't as polite around here." Inuyasha whispered to Sesshoumaru, also astounded by the woman's outcry.

"You said you had a... chocolate-shaping kit?" Sesshoumaru invoked weakly, despite himself.

"Yes, and you can buy it for double the yen!" The woman crowed, and the man stomped his foot.

"Anata!" The man whined, "closing time!"

"Double the yen!" The woman encouraged, and both the boys looked struck.

"Alright," Sesshoumaru finally resolved, stepping forward as he regained himself, and sent a glare at Inuyasha.

"You owe me 2000 yen, little brother." Sesshoumaru hissed as they drove back home through the bath of fluorescent orange city lights.

"You need help... Cooking?" Inuyasha sniggered, watching Sesshoumaru slink into the kitchen. The elder granted the other with a candid glare.

"My intention isn't to murder her, Inuyasha." He spoke silkily, and Inuyasha scowled as he loped for the stairwell, seething.

Leaning against the counter, Sesshoumaru flipped idly through the book, searching for something appropriate.

Finally finding a simple enough sculpture, he turned the stove on dispassionately as he strode for a cupboard, searching for white chocolate.

The sun rose up to kiss the gray-blue sky, and Sesshoumaru, unaccustomed to the place between sleep and awakening - for it had always been a bridgeless effort before - supposed he saw a silver butterfly light upon his windowsill and blink at his lethargic form.

"Time to wake up!" It giggled, batting a transparent wing, and took flight again.

Sesshoumaru gradually awoke, trying to pull himself together, for there was something important to do today...

'The chocolate!' Some internal butterfly thundered, and Sesshoumaru shot up, cursing the manufacturer of the lunacy-inducing calendar that fluttered mockingly on his wall.

Inuyasha was still laughing uncontrollably as they neared the school building.

"Butterfly-shaped chocolate!" He snorted through his tears of glee, and clutched at his stomach.

"Yes, Inuyasha. Where is your doll?" He was not in a good mood. Not that he ever got more than four hours of sleep anyway, but the work he had set out to do had been frustrating. He had never called himself clumsy in his life, until last night.

"Here." Inuyasha grinned, and retrieved it. The little thing's hair was mussed.

"I'm sure she will understand." Sesshoumaru spoke meanly, turning his eyes to the sky. Inuyasha glared.

"What the hell does that mean?" He snarled defensively. "At least it's better than dumb old chocolate! Only girls make chocolate, you know." And with that, Inuyasha went tearing off to the middle school, not waiting for Sesshoumaru's possibly violent reaction.

Sesshoumaru's eyes briefly narrowed, and then he turned to the street that would eventually touch the private school he attended himself. Where he would be hounded by expectant girls all day.

His eyes _tired_ from glaring so much!

"Thank you, Inuyasha!" Kagome glowed, accepting the doll and grinning at him. He grunted, acknowledging her distractedly, as he dug through his book bag, searching for something.

"What are you looking for?" She asked curiously, bending at the waist to look into his bag.

"Chocolate shavings." He said, and triumphantly pulled out the plastic zip-lock bag.

"Chocolate... Shavings?" He remained unfazed as she fell over, him having just poured a mouthful of white chocolate scraps into his mouth indifferently.

"How - Where!" She demanded, righting herself again.

He chewed for a moment, contemplating whether he should give away Sesshoumaru's secret or not, and finally decided to be nonspecific, for he was still young and living under the same roof as his older brother.

"Found them in the house." He spewed through a mouthful of melting white, and Kagome stared, appalled, before marching away - unsuspecting.

Inuyasha closed his eyes, grinned maniacally, and laughed at his own cunning.

"Hey, Inuyasha!" Somebody chirped, and he cracked an eye open to regard the squeaky girl standing over him.

'Did you get me anything for White Day?' She asked silently, and he swallowed painfully - automatically falling into a fit of coughing.

The girls were doubtlessly beautiful - the elite of the high school's did age quickly, so they did not approach a male and inquire about their payback, they simply slid regally by - and one could _feel_ the rigid expectation, the manifestation of potential hatred swimming beneath the smiling façade, if one failed to rise to meet them.

Their black hair grew longer, blacker, and they were taller, more slender, with sharper eyes. He disregarded their flashing irises and focused on the class.

The serpents would have to be fed by someone else.

He supposed he liked Kagome's company - and less wealthy girls' company - because they were more as birds (or butterflies), carefree and functioning simply on common sense - happy and worried, never knowing a future.

Wealthy girls were vicious, despite the polite girl standard embedded into the Japanese culture. It made him edgy.

Sesshoumaru guarded his book bag with a vengeance, careful that the chocolate didn't melt again before he could deliver it to the precious songbird - or butterfly, currently holding her breath before the jubilant song, celebrating his softness.

He sighed. Damned haiku. Damned softness.

She was nervous, walking towards the 'meeting place' - alone, for once, and not sure what to expect.

She wouldn't expect anything, she decided, and put on a smile as she rounded the last corner.

Sesshoumaru stood regally, casually, and she caught her breath.

His eyes flashed with abrupt confusion, and she blinked as she neared him, and stopped awkwardly.

"Oh - yeah! Inuyasha went home early today. He choked on some white chocolate and --- well, he went home early." She smiled, eyes glinting in the sunlight.

Sesshoumaru nodded, knowing he'd be getting the dirty details later from his loud, rambling, ass of a brother who always strove for attention, anyway.

"I'll walk you home," Sesshoumaru decided, having studied Kagome's cringing copper eyes and decided he wanted to put off the tale for as long as he could.

Her heart jumped, but she nodded, a smile branding her face.

She - _she_ was beautiful. Sesshoumaru decided absently, turning to walk beside her as they trudged back in the direction of her house.

Plainer than a blackbird, but so beautiful.

"Did you give anybody chocolate today, Sesshoumaru?" She chirped suddenly, and then tripped, looking appalled at her own thoughtless mouth. He suppressed a smile, lifting a hand to touch her crown.

"Not yet." He admitted mysteriously, and sped up. She paused for a moment, and then a smile spread cautiously over her face and she skipped after him, unquestioningly.

"A lot of boys got me things for White Day, even though I didn't get them anything on Valentines! I felt really bad, but most of them were really nice about it." She twirled once in distressed emphasis, blushing as she relived the episode.

He suppressed an animalistic growl, commanded his eyes not to narrow, and stiffly nodded, all contentedness gone from his features. First - nobody had the right to give _her_ chocolate, but him, and two - _most_ of them were really nice about it?

She stepped up on the curb as they met the park, and he stopped. He didn't go farther than this unless she invited him, and he didn't intend on visiting her home tonight.

"Well..." She began uncertainly, and Sesshoumaru plunged in.

"I thank you again, for the gift you gave me last month." He spoke solemnly, retrieving the wrapped gift from between his books and handing it to her.

Happiness swelled over her face, and she smiled genuinely, her lips parting in an elated grin.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru!" She cried softly, and flew up to throw her arms around his neck. She was considerably shorter than him, and he hoisted her up thoughtlessly - a look of frozen shock on his face - placing his right hand against her lower back and his left up upon her shoulder.

He started when she laid a feather kiss on his shoulder, and he felt the heat of her crimson cheek as she covered the invisible brand with it.

Pulling her closer to his body, he was immediately inclined to lay a counter-kiss on her brow, then on her blackbird scalp, and he felt the tips of her dark tresses on his scorched skin as she rose to meet his eyes with her own wide, innocent irises in response.

"Sesshoumaru?" She asked unsurely, still held securely off the ground. He didn't drop her as he gazed steadily into her eyes.

"Yes?" He asked bluntly, Hellfire eyes burning beneath the lowering sun.

"Do you like me?" She asked, looking away in shame. "At all?"

"I love you." He proclaimed, and he did.

"What about -"

"Let time run its course, Kagome." He chastised, and was about to gloomily set her on her feet again, the mood almost ruined, when she suddenly pushed her lips against his - fiercely, in a way that made him shudder, and question all that he knew of her truer nature - hasty - as if afraid she would die soon after her lips left his or that he would disappear like a ghost in the twilight.

She was inexperienced, which was to be expected, but he had never been in a particularly serious relationship himself, and he found her slight clumsiness to be endearing.

Still, he chastised himself for being appreciative of the way her slight breast touched his chin for the way she was bracing herself on his shoulders, how her knees clamped gently around his chest - somehow only stressing her trust that his slender, huge hands would not drop her to the ground.

He dared not touch her sweet lips with his tongue, though she seemed to want it.

Her hand lifted off his shoulder, almost sending them sideways, and she touched his length of snowy hair with a child's hand.

Slowly lowering her - she straightened her legs to meet the ground on tiptoe - he bent to keep the kiss deep, and her hands reached up to cradle his face, his present still clutched in the palm of her left hand.

"I hope we stay together." Kagome said breathily as they parted. "I hope... I hope you never meet somebody you like better than me."

... Because there was no chance she could ever love somebody as much as him.

"You gave it to her?" Inuyasha bellowed from the living room, where the TV sounded against the excited silence of his mind.

He did not grace his brother with an answer as he glided for the stairs - and tripped onto his knees as he missed the first one.

Inuyasha clambered to his side, laughing loudly.

"What happened?" He grinned widely, unreserved.

"Nothing," Sesshoumaru growled, righting himself and cursing his own indignity, "that should concern you."

Inuyasha laughed vigorously at that, throwing back his head.

"The first kiss I ever got didn't send me to my knees!" Inuyasha crowed happily, staring up to smirk at his brother. "Guess what happened today?" He continued on undaunted by Sesshoumaru's sharp glare.

"I was eating your leftover chocolate - you didn't clean up after yourself! And this girl walked up, and - Sesshoumaru! I threw up all over her! I don't know _what the hell I ate_, but it was one weird color. You know - like the color the second guest bedroom was before Dad decided to paint it. That was butt-ugly, wasn't it? Maybe a bit more orangey-brown though. It was weird, I tell you..."

Sesshoumaru scaled the steps, no longer listening to his brother's rambling. He swallowed dryly.

'Kagome.'


	36. The Airport

Innocent Kisses in the Rain

_Written by AiVixen_

Foreword: Change of plans, everybody! This is the last chapter. The finale. It. The end. Don't expect anything glamorous, because it's only here as temporary closure. Nothing fabulous. It's not even satisfying, so you might want to just wait for the rewrite. Yeah right, right? Just don't be too disappointed. I'm scrapping this and starting over as soon as it is posted. I'll probably change my user name before then, though. I've sort of grown out of AiVixen, I think. :O

She blinked wide eyes when her mother spoke: "Don't you want a haircut, dearest Kagome?"

She touched long, sweeping black locks - so black, the color stung like cerulean and azure sea. It was unnatural to have blue hair.

"What!" She yelped wildly, pouncing to her feet and feeling the soft fabric of her prospective party dress pool around her ankles. Her grandfather, from the other side of the room, tsk'ed disapprovingly.

"What are you still doing in here?" She sputtered suddenly, turning on him. "I'm hardly _wearing_ any _clothes_!" Her grandfather tilted his head casually, calmly, before a grin split his face.

"Souta said you were wearing sports bras now." He said mischievously, and Kagome froze, before going into a hysterical fit and readying herself to throw a chair at him.

"Kagome, please respect your elders." Mrs. Higurashi soothed, a tight smile touching her features as she tried to bring tranquility back to the room. It wouldn't be had, and Kagome declared that she certainly _didn't_ want a new haircut as she stalked out of the room to hunt down her innocent little brother.

The smoldering sun pressed down on the forlorn shrine, and the jagged mountains glowed in resignation as their glory was slipped away into yawning oblivion.

His eyes flickered imperceptibly, becoming a thousand shades south of honey, but Inuyasha stood expectantly on the other side of the room, suave with his arms flung across his chest, and waited for him to announce his discovery with the cool certainty he was used to.

Actually, Sesshoumaru had been hoping for rejection. Something in him had, anyway. This outcome was so unexpected, he wondered how he would say it. His father paused where he made pancakes for supper - a gaping informality that was afforded only on the nights he was given leave from work - and watched his son without expression.

"I got in." He finally said, and it was easier than he had expected it to be.

A storm pulsed against the barriers of his heart, and he quietly excused himself as the letter of cruel acceptance slipped to the table. His fingers twitched to replace the letter within its envelope, place it back in the mailbox, and hope to find it gone in the morning, but he supposed that was a child's game.

For now, he would have to think of a way to break it to Kagome.

"It's not a _very_ important party, anyway." Kagome argued stubbornly, struggling to toe off her sneakers and dance into the stationary, school-issued shoes.

"What?" One of her friends gasped, utterly appalled.

"Fourteen -" Another began, carefully folding a bookmark into the darkly colored hardback that she promptly tucked into her book bag.

"Is not an age to be worried about." Kagome interrupted, guiding a stray strand of midnight behind a delicately shelled ear.

"Every age should be worried about." The bookworm argued. "You're three-hundred-sixty-five days closer to dying!"

They were silent.

"Besides," the first chirped uneasily, "Sesshoumaru will be disappointed if it blows."

She could smell the chlorine from the parking lot, and she suddenly wondered why she had chosen this for her birthday party. She always had this smell; it was nothing special.

Not like being three-hundred-sixty-five days closer to a socially acceptable age to be dating Sesshoumaru.

On the bright side, her mother had bought her a new bathing suit - neon blue, high quality, something she'd be able to take to a competition... Her little brother had bought her a wrap around, depicting the weaving structure of the Great Wall of China. Her grandfather had bestowed her with a two-inch piece of ancient kappa fin.

She sighed, and flipped her blackish-blue hair up into an elaborate ponytail.

"Kagome-chan! Happy birthday!" Somebody cried, and Kagome turned her head. With a big grin, she greeted her friends.

"Don't feel too bad." The boy commanded gruffly. In a sharp splash of swirling blue water, Inuyasha was shooting towards her with all the speed one can achieve in a doggy-paddle stroke.

"It was pretty important, you know."

This seemed to upset her more, and she pulled her dangling legs up under her with a soft sniffle. If it wasn't for the echo, Inuyasha might have missed it.

"Come on, Kagome. It was pretty... Important." His eyes turned sad, and he treaded water for a moment before yanking himself up the ladder and approaching the high diving board.

"You already said that." She accused absently as he plopped down beside her. "Do you know where he is, Inuyasha?" She turned to him with big, watery eyes. He cringed, and averted his gaze.

"Why wouldn't he come..." Her fist clenched, and he heard the sorrowful, angry gnash of her teeth as she bowed her head. "Why wouldn't he come to my birthday party, Inuyasha?"

The boy lifted a hand to his long, pale blond tresses and remained silent, troubled.

"I guess it's not that important, anyway." She sounded as if it was the most important event in the history of the world.

She rose abruptly, and made to hop off the elevated board, but Inuyasha clawed for her hand and dragged her back down.

"I'm not supposed to tell you. Sesshoumaru's orders. But I guess it'll be hard either way, right?" His eyes were shadowed by sticky ropes of sunflower. She watched him intently.

"Sesshoumaru -" A pause. Kagome rose again, looking frightened. "My older brother is..."

_Coward._

It hissed through his mind so apathetically, he wondered if he really cared. He knew that as soon as he stopped thinking about it, he would feel the guilt. The shame.

Even his father thought he had told Kagome.

His father thought he had gone to bid her goodbye. But he was a coward. Glaring at nobody, he flipped a strand of hair behind his shoulder in a characteristic fashion.

He hated being cowardly. He hated not knowing what to say.

He had kissed her so passionately.

It was beginning to rain.

She ran.

She ran so very quickly, it was as if the gods from the sky were yanking back the earthen carpet and throwing her forward in hopeless vertigo. If only she could reach him.

It was the last train into the heart of Tokyo, and Kagome flung herself into the throng of people as the doors began to close.

Nobody made a sound. Kagome thought, eyes wide.

He was such a coward, he had arrived at the airport four hours early in order to avoid her.

The sun was setting, casting a blushing dusk over the western mountains. Rain continued to spatter listlessly against the enormous windows. The white, metallic birds pushed themselves into the pink-black sky with tired groans, and disappeared into the storm.

The numbers and letters flashed before her face, and she nearly cried in confusion. Somebody told her where the exit was. She ran.

She ran so that the potent taste of salt became as familiar and insignificant to her tongue as wind. Run, run, run.

"Sesshoumaru?" She spoke behind his back, and he almost jumped. Somehow, though, he had been expecting it.

Damn his over-loud little brother. Bless him.

"Kagome." He acknowledged with a weary nod, turning to her. His eyes took in her flushed features, and he remembered the first time he had seen her run.

"What are you doing here!" She exclaimed hopelessly, pushing herself into his arms. He suppressed a smile, because he was thinking the same thing - to her, and to himself.

"I'm afraid... I can't stop time, Kagome."

The rain shrieked loudly outside, and his plane was delayed. He collapsed back in a squishy gray seat with her in his lap, and kissed her.

A year in the future, Sesshoumaru is a student at a prestigious college in the United States of America. His father and younger brother have lived near him since Inuyasha finished that year of high school.

Kagome has turned fifteen one month and six days ago.

Lying on the pale sheets in his apartment bedroom, Sesshoumaru is bored. He has finished his studying, and does not care to study any longer. Remembering that girl, he reaches for the telephone.

He places a long distance call, because he does not wont for money.

After several rings, somebody picks up on the other end:

"Hello?" An old voice. The grandfather.

"Higurashi-san?" Sesshoumaru's voice is soft and fluent in his native tongue. "Is Kagome-san there?"

A pause. "Who is this?" Genuine curiosity? As if he's waiting to play a trick, but wants to make sure it is not upon a friend.

"This is Tsuki Sesshoumaru." He clarified, staring out at the rain. He can imagine the other male's surprise.

"Oh! Sesshoumaru!" A grin. "Ah - Sesshoumaru..."

What?

"... Kagome is sick with... Well, she's sick with a terrible illness. She's hardly been up in the past week. Perhaps you could call back later?"

This is startling. Unsettling. He sounds like he's lying.

"Kagome is sick?" He iterates carefully, but Grandfather is already giving him the gory, fake details. Ten minutes later, he thanks the elder, and hangs up.

He falls back on his mattress with a furrowed brow.

'Kagome...'

He listens to the rain.

---

---

---

---

---

---

Several trillion millenniums in the past, somebody screeches in a darkened tomb:

"You just tried to kill me, didn't you!"


End file.
